The Believers

Occult horror played for cheap scares. It's crafted reasonably well by Schlesinger, but he can't get much out the actors, and even less so the script.

A polished, professionally crafted pic, but its then-heralded gore FX had been done before and in far ghastlier fashion by Dario Argento, while the voodoo hook was employed to more visceral effect in Alan Parker's superior suspenser _Angel Heart_. With its lack of sustained tension and emphasis on child mutilation, this is ultimately more depressing than chilling.

Our hero struggles against evil forces beyond his understanding (see also The Serpent and the Rainbow and Angel Heart). I didn't really know what he was dealing with either - the tenets of the religion depicted weren't really elaborated upon; Sheen seemed enraged by both the dark and light manifestations of it. The underlying theme, apparently if you sacrifice kids you'll be happy and successful, is pretty bleak. It has some creepy and nasty touches, and a bit of style and charm. It's okay-ish.

Some directors just don't get horror

Interesting enough suspense/thriller. Reminds me a bit of The Serpent and the Rainbow, if you also like that one.

In a way, kudos to the filmmakers for running with a plot so morally repulsive and corrosive (:‘Yeah, so you know Pizzagate? Totally a thing. Here, take my knife'). It loses momentum in its melodrama but its first pre-credits scene is absolutely terrifying and beautifully crafted and worth seeing just on its own.

büyü, tarikat, Santería, insan kurbanı, seri cinayetler, psikolog

Surprisingly grim and reasonably stylish hokum.