‘The Believers’ Is The Scariest Movie You’ve Never Seen – Decider

The Believers gets under your skin and burrows in. Its a film that defies classification. It has elements of horror and crime and thriller, but at its core, it is a drama about a man desperately trying to save his son; at first from a life without his mother following a tragic accident, but later and more urgently, from a malevolent brujeria cult that wants to sacrifice him for their political and financial gain. Released at the end of Satanic Panic era, The Believers is most easily categorized as a horror movie, which is fitting because it is totally terrifying.

With Oscar-winning filmmaker John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy, Marathon Man) and celebrated cinematographer Robby Mller (Paris, Texas, To Live And Die in L.A.) at the helm, The Believers is visually striking, which only helps enhance the performances of Martin Sheen, Helen Shaver, Robert Loggia, Jimmy Smits, and Malick Bowens as Palo, the cults sinister leader. In just four minutes of screen time, Canadian actress Janet-Laine Green makes a lasting impression as the tragic Lisa Jamison, wife of Cal (Sheen) and mother of Chris (Harley Cross). In a riveting sequence, she starts her mundane daily chores with all the trappings of normalcy when the coffee pot freakishly electrocutes her. It is truly a terrifying moment for the audience as her family watches in horror.

Her death inspires Cal and Chris to move to New York City so Cal can start a new job as a police psychologist with the NYPD. As they settle into their apartment with a kindly housekeeper Carmen (Carla Pinza) and comely landlord Jessica (Shaver), Cal learns about a series of ritualistic child murders that have plagued the city from Lieutenant Sean McTaggert (Loggia), a skeptic who is nevertheless spooked by the bizarre and disturbing crime scenes.

Jimmy Smits delivers a memorable scared-as-shit performance as Tom Lopez, McTaggerts officer who discovers the first body and gets his badge stolen by Palo after interrupting the ritual. Knowing that he is doomed, Smits is sweaty, bugged-eyed and frantic, desperately repeating prayers in Spanish, knowing that all his efforts are futile. Palo works his death spell from afar, filling Tom Lopezs gut with snakes and compelling the terrified detective to plunge a knife into his own stomach.

Cal realizes that he and Chris could be the cults next targets when Chris starts exhibiting strange behavior after finding a mysterious shell. Though he rebukes Carmens unsuccessful efforts to cast a protection spell on Chris and fires her, Cal finally seeks out the help of pawnshop owner/Santeria priest Oscar (Ral Dvila) who attempts a protection spell of his own. Unfortunately, that spell does not include Cals now-girlfriend, Jessica, who has a boil full of spiders burst on her face, compliments of Palo, in a sequence that is the truly the stuff of nightmares.

When Cal and Chris do come face-to-face with Palo and the cult, it is at the home of their friends, Dennis and Kate, who have been in cahoots with Palo the whole time! They weirdly believe that they are helping Cal rebuild his life and become more wealthy and powerful than he could ever image. In a chilling scene Cal, who has been drugged, realizes that all of the cult members have sacrificed their first-born sons in exchange for their privileged lives.

Youll have to watch The Believers to find out what happens next, but trust and believe, you are not prepared for it. Expertly directed by Schlesinger, the pulse-pounding climax includes a wallop of an ending. Now streaming on Prime Video, this genre-defying movie is the perfect watch for spooky season.

Stream The Believers on Prime Video

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'The Believers' Is The Scariest Movie You've Never Seen - Decider

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero