The expulsion or attempted expulsion of a supposed evil spirit from a person or place; the definition of exorcism. Just 50 years ago, 1973, William Friedkin directed “The Exorcist,” sending audiences to the edge of their seats and skyrocketing record books. David Gordon Green, is the filmmaker of “The Exorcist” and the filmmaker of “Halloween,” “Halloween Kills” and “Halloween Ends.”
For the first two hours, the film follows the possession and gradual exorcism of two 13-year-old girl best friends: Angela and Katherine. The film starts out in Haiti for Angela’s parents’ vacation. During their vacation, a threatening earthquake resulted in the father, Victor, choosing whether to save his dying pregnant wife or the child inside her. Years later, in Georgia, Victor was raising his 13-year-old daughter alone making him overprotective of his only daughter; so, agreeing to let her hangout with her new friend Katherine was a struggle. Angela had convinced her dad to let her hangout with Katherine after school. The girls decided to journey off into the woods in hopes of summoning Angela’s deceased mother. Unknowingly, the girl’s return home after being missing for three days with blistered feet, disturbing behavior and blank memories.
Acting as Angela in the movie was Lidya Jewett. Her part along with Katherine’s, Olivia O’Neill, were acted out extremely well pertaining to the difficulty of portraying the emotional effect for this type of movie. The actors have a high understanding of empathy, sympathy and emotional intellect. Recently discovered actress, Jewett, made her first appearance in a movie, in 2021, as the voiceover of Sarah from “Vivo,” Sony Pictures Animation’s first musical film. Olivia O’Neill first appeared in the professional acting world in this movie, “The Exorcist: Believer.”
Overall, the movie depicted the conflict between faith and reason. Was it a smart idea for two little girls to go into abandoned woods? No. Did Angela miss her mother and hope she could bring her back by making these decisions? Yes. Making smart decisions when not only one is grieving but also hurt leaves people in a compromised mindset.
As someone who is utterly terrified of the horror genre, including fiction and non-fiction, you would not catch me with a ticket to a horror movie every day. Although the execution of this movie was mind-blowing, you will never witness me watching it again.
