Although he started career in his native England, John Schlesinger is best known as one of the most prominent directors of New Hollywood. Like many members of that movement, he struggled to adapt to new film making paradigm of 1980s, even when dabbling in then popular horror genre, like in his 1987 film The Believers.
The film is based on Religion, novel by Nicholas Conde. Protagonist, played by Martin Sheen, is Cal Jamison, psychologist whose idyllic suburban life gets shattered after witnessing his wife Lisa (played by Janet-Laine Green) get electrocuted in freak accident. Trying to pick up the pieces and start afresh, he moves to New York with 7-year old son Chris (played by Harley Cross) and finds work as therapist for New York Police Department. His new life seems getting better after he becomes romantically involved with his sexy landlady Jessica Halliday (played by Helen Shaver). After a sinister-looking and mysterious black shaman Palo (played by Mallick Bowens) arrives to the city, Cal is called to deal with Tom Lopez (played by Jimmy Smits), undercover policeman who witnessed horrific child murder, but who is more disturbed with prospect of himself being victim of Caribbean black magic. Jamison is sceptical at first, but he gradually begins to learn about various occult practices and see the case connected to series of similar ritualistic murders. It seems that everything might be connected to voodoo cult which has apparently infiltrated city’s elite, including powerful businessman Robert Calder (played by Harris Yulin). As Cal continues to investigate, people around him begin to be affected by unexplained sickness, paralysis and other unpleasantness and he ultimately realises that the cult wants to use his own son as child sacrifice.
The Belivers is relatively obscure film, which is probably due to critics initially attacking for implied racism. The premise about Afro-Caribbean religion, practised by black and Latino people and threatening white middle class citizens of New York looked quite xenophobic in 1980s and it probably look even more xenophobic in our “woke” times. On the other hand, film authors strayed from the horror mainstream and having villains as followers of Judeo-Christian Satan. Instead, The Belivers actually tries to educate the public, by describing voodoo and similar cults as syncretic mix of Catholicism and African paganism, the latter brought to New World by slaves. That religion, like any other, can be used both for good (as Santeria, practised by Jamison’s maid played by Carla Pinza) and evil (as Brujeria). Furthermore, the script by Mark Frost, television writer famous for his work on Hill Street Blues and Twin Peaks, can be also interpreted as implicit criticism of 1980s yuppies, which are presented and people willing to do anything to get money and power, including the sacrifice of their own children.
Cultural and social issues aside, The Believers is, for the most part, solid combination of psychological thriller and horror, especially in the beginning when Schlesinger, with the help of gifted cinematographer Robby Müller, creates atmosphere of dread in seemingly safe suburban or upper class surroundings. The cast also does fine job, especially Helen Shaver in somewhat thankless role of romantic interest that also becomes victim of black magic. Same can be said for Robert Loggia as experienced police veteran who is nevertheless ultimately unprepared for the horrors he is about to witnessed. Unfortunately, The Believers begins to fall apart in the second half when many characters are conveniently revealed to be part of larger conspiracy and when plot gets resolved through uninspired and cliched showdown in abandoned industrial facility. Epilogue that, like in so many 1980s horror films, puts question mark over the presumed happy end, is another annoying cliché. The Believers nevertheless had somewhat decent results at box office and today’s viewers willing to forgive some of its shortcomings might why the public, unlike the critics, was generally pleased.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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