The Exorcist: Believer concludes with a dramatic final exorcism aimed at saving the lives of Katherine and Angela, introducing significant revelations, tragic deaths, and laying the groundwork for an upcoming trilogy. Set nearly five decades after the original film, this sequel shifts its narrative focus to new families thrust into chaos when demonic forces target their daughters. Victor (Leslie Odom Jr.), desperate to save the young girls, seeks the assistance of Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn).The climax leaves the fate of the girls resting in the hands of both their parents and spiritual leaders.
As anticipated, the film builds toward a harrowing exorcism that determines the destinies of Katherine (Olivia O’Neill) and Angela (Lidya Jewett).Following Angela’s confinement in a mental institution, Katherine’s parents try to aid her at home. However, an unexpected twist occurs when Katherine attacks Chris, which leads to her absence from the climactic exorcism. Yet, Chris’ pivotal advice encourages Victor to gather diverse spiritual perspectives to aid in the exorcism. Notably, the narrative ties up without a post-credits scene, providing a sense of closure.
The Exorcist: Believer’s Final Exorcism & Death Choice Explained
The Demon Tricks the Parents Into Making a False Decision
The climactic exorcism occurs at Victor’s residence, where both Katherine and Angela are brought together for the ritual. The team overseeing the exorcism includes Katherine’s parents, their church pastor, Victor’s nurse neighbor aspiring to be a nun, a local root doctor, and a theistic neighbor. However, the plan falters when the designated Catholic priest unexpectedly declines to lead the exorcism, passing the torch to nurse Ann (Ann Dowd).
Despite their efforts, the initial exorcism attempts yield no success, which leads the demon to present an agonizing ultimatum: the attendees must choose one girl to survive at the cost of the other. This revelation ties back to a harrowing decision from Victor’s past. While Victor and Katherine’s mother, Miranda (Jennifer Nettles), resolutely refuse to make such a choice, Katherine’s father, Tony (Norbert Leo Butz), succumbs to panic and chooses Katherine to live.
What follows appears to confirm Tony’s decision, as Angela begins to levitate before collapsing, seemingly lifeless, while Katherine shows signs of normalcy. However, this twist reveals the demon’s treachery; Angela eventually revives, but Katherine is lost.The tragic choice made by Tony mirrors a similar decision Victor faced in his past, illustrating a cycle of loss and sacrifice.
Victor’s Decision to Save His Wife, Not Angela, is Revealed
Victor Chose to Save His Wife Against Her Wishes
One of the groundbreaking revelations in The Exorcist: Believer relates to Victor’s tragic backstory, unveiled in the film’s opening sequence. Victor’s estranged wife suffers life-threatening injuries during a devastating earthquake in Haiti, prompting Victor to face a heart-wrenching choice regarding her and their unborn child’s survival.His wife’s dying wish was for him to prioritize their child’s life, and the subsequent survival of Angela after a 13-year time gap suggests he honored this request.
During the exorcism, the demon discloses that Victor opted to rescue his wife, which reframes their relationship. Angela is unaware of Victor’s earlier decision, but this revelation explains his intense protectiveness over her. While the terrifying events leave no space for them to discuss this issue, its potential impact on their relationship looms large for the future.
Where Katherine Ends Up in The Exorcist: Believer
Katherine Ends Up Dragged to Hell
While Angela survives the harrowing ordeal and returns to the normalcy of school, Katherine’s fate is tragic and dire. The film suggests that Katherine is dragged to Hell after her demise, illustrating this with a harrowing visual of Katherine in the woods, pulled by numerous hands underwater. This imagery serves as a metaphor for her descent into the abyss, deceived into becoming the ultimate sacrifice.
Whether Katherine’s arc concludes with this film or continues into future sequels remains uncertain.
Regan Returns in The Exorcist: Believer’s Final Scenes
Regan Visits Her Mother in the Hospital
One of the film’s most exciting twists is the return of Linda Blair as Regan. Although the narrative alludes to Regan’s history following the original film, her active participation remains enigmatic for much of the viewing experience. Thankfully, The Exorcist: Believer confirms her survival, featuring a brief but impactful reunion with Chris in a hospital scene, hinting at a more engaged role for Regan in the anticipated sequel, The Exorcist: Deceiver.
Is The Exorcist: Believer’s Demon the Same as The Exorcist’s?
This is a Never-Before-Seen Demon
A point of potential confusion in The Exorcist: Believer lies in the identity of the main demon. While the demon remains unnamed, its familiarity with Chris hints at prior encounters. Director David Gordon Green clarified in interviews that this film introduces a new demon, distinct from Pazuzu from the original. However, the full identity of this new demonic entity remains undisclosed, adding layers of intrigue.
Did the Haitian Blessing of Protection Save Angela’s Life?
The Blessing Remains Up to the Viewer to Decide
Angela’s survival raises questions about the depth of the Haitian blessing of protection that her mother receives during pregnancy. The concluding sequences of the film flash back to this blessing, suggesting its significant role in preserving Angela’s life.This potential connection implies that even while Angela was possessed, the blessing could have shielded her from a fatal outcome. Ultimately, how audiences interpret this aspect of the story is left open-ended.
How The Exorcist: Believer Sets Up the Sequel, The Exorcist: Deceiver
Linda Blair’s Return Was Supposed to Tease the Sequel
Universal’s announcement of a new trilogy, starting with The Exorcist: Believer, sets the stage for the sequel titled The Exorcist: Deceiver. The film concludes with themes suggesting further exploration, particularly as the pastor describes the demon as a deceiver during the critical moment of the death choice. This implies that the fates of Katherine and Angela could still hold unexpected twists.
Bringing Linda Blair back in a brief scene generates excitement and speculation about the roles she and Ellen Burstyn will play in the sequel. Although their participation in The Exorcist: Deceiver remains unconfirmed, the narrative direction seems poised to shift focus either back to the MacNeil family or continue exploring Victor and Angela’s narrative arc.
The Real Meaning Of The Exorcist: Believer’s Ending
Believing in Good Will Save a Person
The ending of The Exorcist: Believer resonates with themes of hope and faith. Despite its classification as a horror film depicting demonic possession and consequent deaths, it ultimately conveys a message that the belief in goodness and divine assistance is vital for overcoming darkness. Victor’s realization of the power of belief during the exorcism, rekindled through his connection with his daughter and his wife’s scarf, signifies a turning point. Further emphasizing this sentiment, Ann Dowd’s voice-over monologue drives home the film’s overarching message.
How The Exorcist: Believer Ending Was Received
Audiences Enjoyed It More Than Critics
Despite initial criticism leading to a low 22% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for The Exorcist: Believer, audience reactions reflect a higher level of enjoyment, with an audience score of 58%, indicating mixed but more favorable perspectives. For example, a viewer review criticized the narrative potential, stating, “It’s a story filled with wasted potential.” Notable critic David Fear from Rolling Stone echoed concerns about the ending’s lack of coherence with the franchise’s essence, stating:
“The climactic showdown might have been borrowed from any Blumhouse movie over the past 10 years. The Catholicism that was so key to the original film’s crisis of faith is pushed aside in favor of a ragtag multireligious crew that hammers home its message of belief in people being as important as belief in God. And even that inherently interesting notion is reduced to a wonky speech that poor Ann Dowd is forced to recite as one last montage wraps everything up.”
Discussion on platforms like Reddit has led some viewers to propose that the The Exorcist: Believer “decision” was a deceptive tactic by the demon, suggesting it sought to manipulate the outcome for its gain. One theory posits, “So the demon is getting exorcised, right? So my thought is that maybe it was starting to slip, to be thrown out. But it wants to win, so what does it do?… maybe, in an effort to take at least one girl, the demon makes it sound like he’s winning and offers the parents a choice. When the choice is made, it sends them both down to hell…”
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