Exorcist: Believer 4K UHD Review: 4K Reunion

As the third Exorcist movie on 4K UHD, The Exorcist: Believer looks more like most modern day digital movies. They added a saturated look to the prologue in Haiti, but most of the movie looks like the usual film, which is sort of the point. This extraordinary possession occurs in the middle of regular America.

The night search for the missing girls and the dark houses of the parents provide some deep 4K darknesses. Of course that comes up during the exorcism itself, too. It is a distinct look of its time, just as The Exorcist and Exorcist III were as 35mm film restorations.

Sound helps create the atmosphere. The score chants in your ears behind you, and demons groan and whisper subtly.

The bonus features have a spoiler, but the spoiler did press after opening weekend so it’s out there now. Behind the scenes footage of the reunion is even more special than the scene in the movie.

The commentary with director David Gordon Green, cowriter Peter Sattler, producer Ryan Turek and special makeup FX designer Christopher Nelson balances scene specific and development stories. Green refers to William Friedkin and other movies you’d be surprised are relevant.

He also describes a scene they had to take out because it played as comedy. Nelson gets more of a chance to explain specific effects than in the brief special effects featurette, although that one shows him demonstrating so it’s nice to have both angles.