The Believers

R

1987

1 hr. 54 min.

Horror

Crime

Drama

List

35%

20 Reviews

Tomatometer

45%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Recently widowed psychiatrist Cal Jamison (Martin Sheen) has just moved back to New York City with his young son, Chris (Harley Cross), in an attempt to start over after his wife's horrific accidental death. Cal takes an assignment helping the police with the investigation of a cult-like and bizarre ritualistic double murder. As Cal gets closer to the truth, he realizes that he and those close to him may be the target of supernatural and deadly forces, and that the enemy is closer than he knows.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Oct 17

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Rent The Believers on Fandango at Home, or buy it on Fandango at Home.

Steve D

Fails to build any real suspense.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/02/23

Full Review

william w

I can see why the critics panned this film. Despite its A-list stars and screenplay it has a B-grade made-for-TV feel to it. The lawyer friend's stage magic shtick feels rushed - they spent not enough time developing it for the coup de grâce, which still works but I thought the whole set-up deserved more attention. The finale of the sorcerer impaled upon the raw materials of modernity works too, and though hints of this theme begin in the film's opening it too feels rushed, as if the film's budget was top-heavy due to the presence of Sheen and his Apocalypse Now bravado, replaced here with the thoughtful undercover work of a police psychologist who infiltrates a folk religion founded upon (human) sacrifice of the young - not unlike ‘this great nation of ours' as one of the cultists points out, the sacrifice of war itself. This movie is disturbing on a lot of levels based largely upon these hints dropped in the screenplay. When I first saw it in the theater I did not realize it was written by Mark Frost who would later go on to such success with David Lynch as a collaborator. It is too bad that the director John Schlesinger could not make this film as gritty and real as his earlier acclaimed work, nor could he manage to highlight in any impactful way the true theme here of modern society versus its shadow, the ‘premodern' or ‘supernatural' and the superstitions of (one might say) those traditionally excluded from modern society, i.e. ‘the folk'. Here we have all the ingredients of modern conspiracy theory - a cult of wealthy successful people sacrificing their own children and apparently the children of others at times. This is the stuff we are still fighting about now, what with the steady drumbeat of Epstein, Maxwell, and QAnon echoing out in the jungles of the Internet. As I said, the movie opens with hints of this theme, modernity versus the premodern, a parade of modern uncertainty and the suggestion of extreme politics - front page terrorism headlines scream random death, as onscreen death by defective product screams product liability and the possibility of a lawsuit, a triggering of the legal system and all the contingency that entails - will the son have to testify? It is too traumatic. The cult offers magic as an escape from modern society and the trauma of its omnipresent contingency: "Of course you're uncertain… and now imagine if you can a life without uncertainty…" But it is the stage magic tricks of this lawyer (a trade that deals only in contingency it seems) that ultimately saves them. Modern society with its science, uncertainty and differentiated social systems triumphs in the end, but for how long? A guard dog is not enough. Fear demands ritual, a hidden shrine. We cling to our superstitions - "We'll be safe now," she whispers gently in the darkness.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Completely underrated. Not a lot of good horror movies came out of the kid 80's (minus the Fly, the Thing, a nightmare on Elm Street and a few others). Comparatively, this is a great one and ahead of its time

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

hasan bulut c

it is not a pretty film or a bit gross time to time. however, the films is intriguing and flows well and Malick Bowens also very is creepy. it is not groundbreaking but a good super natural horror.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The Believers starts out making you think that it is going to be a very average and predictable experience. However, the film has some interesting plot twists and some really intense scenes! The facial rash scene will make your skin crawl! (No pun intended.) The Believers was perfectly cast, Sheen, Loggia, Smits, Masur, Bowens, Shaver and Yulin are all absolutely great in this one! Martin Sheen in particular gives an excellent performance making his character very believable and most worthy of your rooting for him! Perhaps one of Sheen's best performances?

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The Believers is a disturbing thriller based around a brujeria cult (wrongfully often not clearly differentiated from Santeria). Although, for me, not really a horror flick other than being slightly gory for a thriller - the face blemish scenes are definitely a fear most people have had. Martin Sheen and the other character actors are solid and there were enough twists to keep me interested. I think it holds up fairly well. I'm not sure why the score is quite so rotten.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

John Schlesinger

Director

Martin Sheen

Cal Jamison

Helen Shaver

Jessica Halliday

Harley Cross

Chris Jamison

Robert Loggia

Lt. Sean McTaggert

Elizabeth Wilson

Kate Maslow

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

50%

61%

No Man's Land

53%

41%

Monkey Shines

68%

51%

Code of Silence

92%

82%

Prince of the City

79%

90%

Mississippi Burning

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

14 Rotten Horror Movies We Love

View more photos

Barbara Scharres

Chicago Reader

Ultimately, though, The Believers is like a tiresome card trick...

Rated: 1/4

May 9, 2022

Full Review

Joe Pollack

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The result is a partly effective horror film, based on Nicholas Conde's book "The Religion," that could have been a lot better.

Apr 21, 2022

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

An awesomely silly, tasteless and half-witted movie.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Andrew Sarris

Video Review

There is a depressingly surprising ending in tune with the current tendency to let the forces of darkness prevail for the sake of profitable sequels. Invincible evil seems to sell like hotcakes in today’s marketplace.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 5, 2022

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

An exceptionally well-made horror yarn that really gets under the skin.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 28, 2020

Full Review

James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

a solid piece of genre work that manipulates its familiar material in interesting ways

Rated: 3/4

Jul 10, 2019

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Recently widowed psychiatrist Cal Jamison (Martin Sheen) has just moved back to New York City with his young son, Chris (Harley Cross), in an attempt to start over after his wife's horrific accidental death. Cal takes an assignment helping the police with the investigation of a cult-like and bizarre ritualistic double murder. As Cal gets closer to the truth, he realizes that he and those close to him may be the target of supernatural and deadly forces, and that the enemy is closer than he knows.

Director: John Schlesinger
Executive Producer: Edward Teets
Screenwriter: Mark Frost
Production Co: Orion Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $17.4M
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now