Dir. Sheldon Wilson (2024)
A young writer is caught between a dangerous cult with an unwavering belief in their leader and the potential end of the world.
Japanese horror master Kiyoshi Kurosawa once said that horror movies can only end one of three ways: insanity, murder, or the end of the world. This rings true, at least for most horror films. But what happens when the ending could potentially mean all three options at once? Director Sheldon Wilson explores these possibilities in his taut new horror/thriller Believer, though he does so through an especially insular and narrowly focused viewpoint that at times threatens to lose the larger overall scope the movie initially promises.
Kate (Ella Ballentine) is an aspiring writer, and she intends to pave the path to her success by writing about the cult killings inspired by their mysterious leader Marshall Grayson (Kris Holden-Reid). She attends his sentencing after his conviction of fifty three murders committed by his followers, and shortly before the judge announces the sentence, Grayson attacks her, whispering something into her ear before he is shot dead by the police. You see, Grayson's followers were killing their victims to prevent the end of the world, killing themselves after completing each task, and the remaining members believe that Grayson's message to Kate contained the last victim necessary to save the world.
It's a fascinating premise for a film, and Wilson does a great job of trying to probe its possibilities. Grayson's discussion of the trolley problem, in which one person is forced to take a direction action that causes the death of a single person in order to save many more, is one of philosophy's greatest quandaries, and it's used to great effect in Believer. It's a genuinely good question, especially within this context: is it worth killing multiple people if you know it will save many more? If you know for sure that your actions, as reprehensible as they may be, will save the world, would you do it? What if you just believed? Ultimately, that is the message at the center of Believer. If you believe, if you truly believe... nothing is out of the question.
The film is well-made, with a stellar score, some excellent cinematography, and outstanding performances from every member of the cast. Holden-Reid is creepy as hell with his limited screen-time, and Ballentine is excellent as his haunted victim. Kate goes to stay with her sister Michelle, played wonderfully by Lauren Lee Smith, Michelle's husband David (Peter Mooney), and her cousin Ella (Ilan O'Driscoll) after the trial, and Smith, Mooney, and Driscoll are excellent in their supporting roles. Wilson, despite leading a career filled with eye-rolling B-movies, clearly has some clever genre chops, and he manages to set up a film that is practically boiling with tension. Believer is a fantastic example of how to make a tense, dramatic horror film.
That said, it's not without its flaws. The story becomes a little convoluted at times, and most of the film is filled with scares-for-the-sake-of-scares. It's a creepy atmosphere, to be sure, but most of it doesn't seem to service the larger plot. It doesn't hurt the overall film, however, and while it's a slow burn, it's definitely worth the sizzle. Even when the film "drags," I couldn't peel my eyes away from the screen. It's a credit to the filmmaker, and the actors involved, that a movie that progresses this slowly manages to hold its audience's attention regardless. It's a fantastic plot, and by the time it all eventually reveals itself, we're left wanting more in a very good way.
Who this movie is for: Slow burn horror fans, Cult horror movie lovers, Impressionable youths
Bottom line: Believer is adequately scary and a great story, highlighted with some excellent performances and a director who clearly knows what he's doing. I'd love to know more about the cult at the center of the story, because the philosophical questions posed are definitely worth exploring further. If you're a fan of slow burn horror and don't mind the smallest bit of convolution to your plots, this is definitely one that you should check out.
