The Exorcist: Believer

As the cinematic journey commences in the vibrant city of Port-Au-Prince, we are introduced to Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom, Jr), a photographer on vacation with his expectant wife Sorenne (Tracey Graves). The couple's tranquil getaway is disrupted by a voodoo priestess who performs a ritual to bless their unborn child. This serene moment of reverence is shattered when the city is hit by an earthquake, leaving Victor and Sorenne's world in ruins.

As the dust settles, Sorenne finds herself trapped beneath the rubble, desperately clinging to life as Victor frantically searches for her. Before she succumbs to her injuries, she implores Victor to safeguard their child, setting the stage for a heart-wrenching choice that will forever alter his trajectory. At the hospital, the medical professionals bluntly inform Victor that attempting to save Sorenne's life risks jeopardizing the baby's chances of survival, forcing him to confront an impossible decision.

Thirteen years have passed since that fateful day in Haiti, and Victor now resides in Georgia with his daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett), who harbors a deep affection for her mother through cherished mementos. The absence of faith has left its mark on Victor's soul, a direct result of the devastating loss he suffered. On the morning commute to school, Victor chides Angela for donning her mother's scarf, a poignant reminder of their fractured past.

Meanwhile, at school, Angela confides in her friends Katherine (Olivia O'Neill) and Deshannah (Lariah Alexandria), sharing plans to explore the woods after class. However, this adventure ultimately becomes an intimate escapade between Angela and Katherine. As Victor embarks on a photo shoot for a family, he begins to experience strange visions – the anguished cries of his daughter's subconscious, and distorted images that blur the lines between reality and fantasy.

Intrigued by Angela's cryptic statement about studying at her friend's house, Victor reaches out to Katherine's mother Miranda (Jennifer Nettles), only to discover that the girls had actually planned a woodland expedition with Deshannah. The parental units, now alarmed, join forces to track down their missing daughters, leading Victor and his companions deep into the woods in search of Angela and Katherine.

As Victor's desperation to find his daughters intensifies, he's confronted by concerned neighbors offering aid, which he declines. Meanwhile, a chance visit to a shelter results in a volatile outburst when a stranger makes a crude remark about Angela's whereabouts, prompting Victor to nearly engage in fisticuffs with the man. The tension subsides only temporarily, as Victor is later approached by a young man and his father who stumble upon Angela and Katherine hiding in their barn cellar. The girls are rushed to the hospital, where they're treated for injuries that include red and blistered feet, scratched skin, and disoriented behavior.

Victor brings Angela home, where she shares a disturbing tale about playing a game in the woods aimed at contacting Sorenne's spirit, which ultimately led to their disappearance. As Victor tries to tend to her physical wounds, he's met with bizarre occurrences: water turns black as he attempts to draw her a bath, and Angela appears to have self-mutilated by ripping off one of her toenails. Fearing for her well-being, Victor takes Angela back to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Miranda and Tony bring Katherine and her siblings to their Baptist church, where they're welcomed with open arms by the congregation. However, Katherine's return is tempered by her haggard appearance and worn-out demeanor. As the pastor offers a prayer of thanksgiving for her safe return, she abruptly exits only to re-enter during communion, now besmirched in blood. Her repeated cries of "THE BODY AND THE BLOOD" send shockwaves through the congregation before her parents intervene.

In Angela's hospital room, her nurse Ann checks in on her patient and is met with a torrent of confessions about Angela's troubled past, including the name of an unnamed child. As the revelations unfold, Angela begins to hemorrhage profusely from below, prompting Ann to seek Victor out with a dire warning. She reveals that she used to be a devout individual pursuing a life of devotion before becoming pregnant out of wedlock and making the difficult decision to abort the child - secrets she's never shared with anyone else, but were confided in her by Angela herself. Ann presents Victor with a book from Chris MacNeil, detailing her own harrowing experiences as a mother whose daughter Regan was possessed, serving as a stark reminder that the horrors they're facing may be far from unique.

As Victor delves deeper into Chris's world, he becomes increasingly fascinated by her groundbreaking research on demonology and the various methods employed across diverse religious traditions. His curiosity eventually leads him to track down Chris herself, finding her solitary existence in a quiet home that bears the scars of Regan's abandonment after she penned her candid account of their tumultuous past.

Victor shares his own haunting tale with Chris, who has devoted years to studying the dark arts and the various rituals used by different faiths to vanquish malevolent entities. His plea for help sparks a sense of purpose in Chris, whose own experiences have left her uniquely qualified to confront the evil that possesses Angela.

As they visit Angela at the hospital, Chris senses an eerie familiarity with the demon that torments Regan, Pazuzu's unmistakable presence now manifesting in the formless whispers and maddening taunts that assail both girls. Their investigation leads them to Katherine's home, where Chris is met with a chilling familiarity as she encounters the possessed girl, only to be brutally attacked by Katherine when she attempts to exorcise the demon from her body. The cruel irony of events leaves Chris blind and hospitalized, yet her resolve remains unwavering.

Meanwhile, Ann seeks guidance from Father Maddox (EJ Bonilla), who struggles to secure approval for an exorcism from the Catholic Church, citing the very real risk of harm or death. As news of the failed ritual spreads, Katherine's parents turn to their own spiritual leader, Don Revans (Raphael Sbarge). Victor's quest for answers takes a surprising turn when he consults with Dr. Beehibe (Okwui Okpokwasili), a hoodoo practitioner who shares his conviction that an unconventional approach is needed to combat the evil that has taken hold. Stuart (Danny McCarthy), a Pentecostal preacher, joins their makeshift coalition, but Father Maddox's request for Church approval is met with a decisive rejection due to the very real danger of harm or death.

As the group convenes, Victor, Miranda, and Tony orchestrate a tense and foreboding gathering, securing Angela and Katherine in chairs bound to the floor with nails that seem to anchor them firmly to reality. The air is heavy with anticipation as they embark on a ritualistic endeavor to exorcise the possessed girls themselves. As the ceremony unfolds, Lamashtu, the malevolent entity, seizes control of Angela's voice, revealing a shocking truth: Victor had initially opted to save Sorenne instead of Angela, prompting Angela's real voice to burst forth in a torrent of anger and disappointment towards her father. The demon then delivers a chilling prophecy, stating that one girl will live while the other will meet a tragic demise, with the parents forced to make an impossible choice.

Maddox, seemingly disillusioned with the Church's approach, reappears on the scene, his countenance darkened by his own doubts and fears. He proceeds to conduct his own exorcism, but Lamashtu responds by unleashing a terrifying display of supernatural force, causing Maddox's head to twist violently before he crumples to the ground in lifeless silence.

As the chaos subsides, Victor reaches out to Angela with a sorrowful apology, attempting to reconnect with the real girl trapped beneath Lamashtu's influence. Tony, overcome with emotion, makes the fateful decision to sacrifice Katherine, and as Angela's body rises upward, she vomits forth a torrent of acidic bile that consumes the ceiling before collapsing in lifelessness. Meanwhile, Victor clings to his daughter's limp form, his sobs echoing through the desolate atmosphere.

In the aftermath, Katherine's spirit appears, only to be dragged screaming into the abyss by Lamashtu, as if drawn to the very depths of Hell. Angela awakens, her eyes dull and lifeless, while Miranda and Tony are left shattered, mourning the loss of their beloved friend.

As time passes, Angela returns to a semblance of normalcy, her relationship with Victor slowly healing. Meanwhile, Miranda and Tony are consumed by grief as they come to terms with Katherine's fate. The cycle of tragedy is complete when Victor visits Sorenne's grave once more, his heart heavy with regret. Amidst the devastation, Ann reaffirms her faith in a statement to the authorities, while Chris receives an unexpected visit from Regan (Linda Blair), who arrives at her hospital bedside bearing gifts and words of comfort for her long-lost mother.