The Believers (1987)

Directed by John Schlesinger. Starring Martin Sheen, Helen Shaver, Robert Loggia, Jimmy Smits, Harris Yulin, Harley Cross, Richard Masur, Malick Bowens, Elizabeth Wilson, Lee Richardson, Carla Pinza. [R]

Psychologist Sheen and detective Loggia are among those interested in a string of ritualistic child murders that might just be human sacrifices carried out by practitioners of the voodoo-like practice of Santeria. Far-fetched occult thriller deals in stereotypes and shocks, not understandable human behavior, and the subtext makes it all seem in bad taste. Not only does it strand its actors in a lot of superficially sordid, exploitative hooey, but doing so signals alarm with a lot of prejudicial paraphernalia of the exotic, the “other”. Had it been made with some recognizable style or wit or fresh take on the familiar props and atmospheric elements, maybe this could have been overlooked or shrugged off (if not forgiven), but its best bits, which aren’t that great to begin with, owe a debt to earlier films and famous urban legends (e.g., the boil growing on Helen Shaver’s cheek). Inspired by the Nicholas Conde book, “The Religion”.

39/100