"The Believers" stars Martin Sheen as a forensic psychologist who moves with his young son to New York City after the death of his wife. Shortly after their arrival, a series of brutal ritualistic child murders plague the city, and his son becomes gravely endangered.
This little-talked-about late '80s quasi-horror film starts out promising--there are ominous deaths, grim warnings, and disturbing occult murders involving young children. The focus here is an urban take on Santeria that has been appropriated and perverted for nefarious purposes. The first half of the film is quite engaging, with Sheen's character slowly descending into this world and learning more and more about it, including benevolent forms of it, which are practiced by his Puerto Rican housekeeper.
At its core, the film is truly about the blind leading the blind--people so dedicated to an ideological belief that they are willing to engage in horrific acts to validate it, dragging others into their underworld as human collateral. Like much of John Schlesinger's work, "The Believers" is quite stylish, and there is a fair amount of suspense in the first two-thirds of it--but by the final act, the film begins to wobble into the realm of ridiculousness. Despite the fact that it runs nearly two hours, there is a surprising amount of connective tissue missing from the film, particularly regarding the cult practices and their overall intentions--the implications often come across as vague or oblique. There are two plot twists thrown into the mix in the last twenty minutes, and a showdown in a warehouse that feels frightfully overwrought and unbelievable. The film does end on a grim, immediate note, however, which does mitigate some of this.
Overall, I found this film quite engaging, though it lacks cogency, particularly in the third act. It is admittedly stylish and well-acted, but it contains too many unnecessary voids, especially when you take into account its runtime. I suspect the film may have been a victim of editing problems based on the way it is pieced together, though it's difficult to know for certain. Worth a watch for fans of cult-themed films, despite its lack of clarity at times. 6/10.
