'The Excorist: Believer' Trailer: First Take

Those who saw Oppenheimer this past weekend were privy to the new David Gordon Green Exorcist trailer.

Much like Oppenheimer's first trailer was "theaters only" for a few days, Universal played the same cards here. In a world where we're getting trailers for trailers, this move feels very late aughts and one that can really work in the film's favor. 

As someone who has been Googling information weekly, I had no idea that this was indeed the trailer until the chilling piano came in -- A - E - B - E - G - A - E - C - E - D - E - B - CE ... only Williams' F and F# on Jaws and Carpenter's Halloween theme can rival the ivory-tickling horror that this does. 

Polling a small sample size of my friends who saw it, the trailer seemed very effecting. Some were hyped, some closed their eyes and ears -- all very positive indications that the trailer did what it was supposed to do. 

The reactions on Twitter X, skewed positive as well. 

For me, I'm pretty much all in. I find David Gordon Green's career as fascinating as any director working today. And while the DNA of his first legacy sequel (the latest Halloween trilogy) is undoubtably in this trailer, DGG's admiration of both Willian Friedkin's original masterpiece as well as the brilliant, and critically realigned Excorist III are on display here. 

This is to say it feels part horror, part crime movie. 

"Exorcism is a ritual. Every culture, every religion ... they all use different methods. It's going to take all of them"

Like he did with Halloween, David Gordon Green brings the newcomers to the franchise and balances it with the legacy character -- in this Ellen Burstyn's Chris McNeil, mother of possessed Reagan. 

"Exorcism is a ritual. Every culture, every religion ... they all use different methods. It's going to take all of them" she says

Now, 2023 the exorcism is going to come in from all angles, which should be a nice touch rather than just re-hashing what Friedkin did so brilliantly. 

We're living in a world of knee-jerk reactions and with Talk To Me coming out this week, it's hard for the masses to not compare the two -- one being so indebted to the original and the other trying to continue the legacy -- especially with legacy and IP fatigue becoming more prevalent. 

This is now DGG's fourth time doing something like this. This time with a clean slate and learning what may have not worked for some in his Halloween reboot (noted, they all worked for me, to varying degrees) he could give us something more in line with Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria. Which is to say, something obviously indebted to the original but something that's appreciated on its own merit -- using its unique point of view, style, and subtext to tap into something about today. 

Halloween III: Season of the Witch 

There's arguably a little bit more to explore here for David Gordon Green than what was within the Halloween franchise. Although his Halloween was a direct sequel to the original film and ignored everything after it, there's still so much density in the world of Haddonfield that DGG felt compelled to include. Which, if you're making a love letter like he was, seems requisite. 

While there's certainly supernatural elements to Michael, the Halloween franchise is a little more grounded. It's pulpier. The kills are with whatever objects may be in the vicinity; garden tools, kitchen knives, vehicles, etc. 

The world of The Exorcist is much more metaphysical. Pazuzu doesn't penetrate its victims with a knife; it inhabits them, torturing and controlling them from within. 

THAT SAID, both franchises' third films are eerily similar. A digression from the core text, both becoming cult hits then critically reappraised. 

As mentioned earlier, The Exorcist: Believer does seem like a balance between those worlds: a horror movie and a crime movie; a legacy sequel and an anthology. 

Halloween pretty much stands on its own with its repertoire of films. Sure, there's Friday the 13th, Nightmare On Elm St. and Scream -- all great franchises. But nothing comes close, top-to-bottom like Halloween does. Aside from the aforementioned Exorcist III, none of the other films in the franchise are even remotely talked about in the same way that even the more mediocre tales of Michael Myers and Laure Strode. 

This includes Paul Schrader's pretty-interesting/pretty-good Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist. Which, is miles ahead of the film released the year before, Reny Harlin's Exorcist: The Beginning. But that's a take for another day. 

This is all to say that this will give David Gordon Green more to play around with; in terms of story, genre, and style. He'll have a wider canvas to work with and won't have try to please a fervent fanbase. 

Maybe it won't work at all. 

Maybe it'll be that classic 3/5 star movie; go in, enjoy it, forget it that next day.

But if you've ever asked your parents or even your grandparents what it was like to see The Exorcist in the 70s, they'll tell you they were scared for weeks. The wishful thinking here is that this movie is good enough to get those same people back in the theater 50 years later. 

Maybe, maybe we'll get something that can do this. 

We can wish for something remarkable like that.