Summary
- The Exorcist: Believer is a reinvention of the original 1973 film, promising to align with the present while drawing a direct line to the past.
- The film will be directed by David Gordon Green, known for resurrecting Halloween for modern audiences, and will feature Ellen Burstyn reprising her role.
- Despite expectation for a longer runtime, the film will run for 1 hour and 51 minutes, shorter than the series average, challenging the notion that longer films are essential for grandeur and depth. The focus should be on the gripping power and lasting effect of the content.
Two decades have passed, and as the shadowy corridors echo once more with the haunting whispers of The Exorcist, fans worldwide gear up for another chilling journey. The Exorcist: Believer isn’t just a sequel – it’s a reinvention, a bold bridge from the groundbreaking 1973 original to today’s cinematic world.
The talented David Gordon Green, celebrated for resurrecting Halloween for the modern audience, is at the helm of the project, ensuring that “Believer” is in capable hands. As an added nostalgic twist, Ellen Burstyn graces the screen again as Chris MacNeil, drawing a direct line to the past, yet promising a tale that aligns with the present. While the specifics of this film are veiled in suspense, Green hints at making “radical choices” that will undoubtedly ruffle traditionalists while enticing a new generation of horror enthusiasts.
But it seems there’s a twist even before the film’s premiere: its runtime. In a surprising turn, recent updates from AMC Theaters (courtesy of @Cryptic4KQual) indicate a runtime of 1 hour and 51 minutes for The Exorcist: Believer, in contrast to the previously circulated 2 hours and 1 minute by Rotten Tomatoes. This 111-minute revelation stands shorter than the series average, leading to raised eyebrows across the fan community.
Given the modern retake Green envisions, especially after the expansive universe he constructed with his Halloween series, the expectation was that The Exorcist: Believer would at least surpass the original’s duration of 2 hours and 2 minutes. But, it seems, this isn’t the tale Green wishes to tell.
The Exorcist: Believer Believes A Film’s Worth Is Beyond The Minutes
The current cinematic landscape often views longer films as markers of grandeur and depth. Yet, this isn’t a steadfast rule, nor should it be. Take Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer or Matt Reeves’ The Batman, for instance. Their brilliance doesn’t stem from their three-hour-plus runtime; it’s merely a factor. They’re excellent narratives that, coincidentally, require ample screen time.
Earlier murmurs of concern arose when Greta Gerwig’s Barbie was revealed to be under the 2-hour threshold. And yet, against these odds, or perhaps because of them, Barbie dazzled both at the box office and among critics.
While some might be shocked by the shorter duration of The Exorcist: Believer, it’s the film’s gripping power and lasting effect that define its true worth. The reel’s duration shouldn’t be the criterion for judgment – the content should. A story doesn’t need to be long to be powerful; a brief tale, if told well, can have an even greater resonance.
As the calendar inches towards Friday, October 6, anticipation is palpable. Theaters will soon be filled with the echoes of the past and the fervor of the present, as The Exorcist: Believer takes center stage. And while fans might find themselves clock-watching initially, it’s the tale on the screen that promises to be time well spent.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
