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The Exorcist: Believer (2023) movie poster

Timeline

The Exorcist: Believer (2023) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2023 · 1 h 51 m · English
Echo score 40
JustWatch #4,190 31
Directed by
David Gordon Green
Starring
Ellen Burstyn, Leslie Odom Jr., Linda Blair, Lidya Jewett, Ann Dowd, Celeste Oliva
Budget
$30M

Following the tragic loss of his wife, Victor Fielding faces a terrifying ordeal when his daughter Angela and her friend disappear in the woods. They return with no memory of what happened, and Victor soon discovers a disturbing connection between their experience and a prior encounter he had as a young boy. Driven by a desperate need to understand, he embarks on a harrowing journey to protect his daughter and confront a supernatural threat that challenges his beliefs.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 The book behind the movie
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Movies like The Exorcist: Believer
  7. 7 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Exorcist: Believer (2023)

Where can you watch The Exorcist: Believer? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus and Fandango at Home Free: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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15 events in order · contains spoilers

The Exorcist: Believer Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Exorcist: Believer (2023) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Honeymoon in Haiti

    Victor Fielding and his pregnant wife Sorenne begin their honeymoon in Haiti, searching for joy and happiness. Their bliss is abruptly interrupted when a massive earthquake strikes, leading to life-changing consequences.

    Where
    Haiti
  2. A Traumatic Decision

    In the aftermath of the earthquake, Sorenne is gravely injured, and Victor faces an unimaginable decision. He must choose between saving his wife or their unborn child, a choice that will haunt him for years to come.

  3. Life in Georgia

    Thirteen years later, Victor is raising his daughter Angela alone in Georgia, burdened by the loss of Sorenne. The absence of faith and the weight of grief shape their lives in profound ways.

    Where
    Georgia
  4. The Séance

    One day after school, Angela and her best friend Katherine venture into the woods for a séance to contact Sorenne. However, their innocent exploration quickly turns dark as they both go missing.

    Where
    Woods
  5. The Manhunt

    A frantic three-day search ensues for Angela and Katherine as friends and authorities comb through the wilderness. Their disappearance instills fear and panic among their families and community.

  6. The Return

    Angela and Katherine are eventually found in a barn, seemingly unharmed but profoundly shaken by their experience. Their return triggers deep concern for their mental and emotional well-being.

    Where
    Barn
  7. Unsettling Behavior

    Following their return, Angela begins displaying alarming behavior, including violent outbursts towards Victor. Meanwhile, Katherine experiences similar disturbances during a church service, raising serious alarm for their families.

  8. Seeking Medical Help

    Concerned for their daughters' well-being, Victor admits Angela to the hospital, where they are attended by their neighbor Ann Brooks. As both girls struggle, the parents grow increasingly fearful of their mental states.

    Where
    Hospital
  9. The Accusation

    Miranda, Katherine’s mother, suggests that the girls may have encountered a demon during their séance. This shocking theory leads to a deeper investigation into the supernatural forces possibly at play.

  10. Reaching Out for Help

    In desperation, Victor consults Chris MacNeil, who faced a similar situation in 1973. Chris, devoted to understanding exorcisms, offers her insights and experiences to help the frightened family combat the darkness overtaking their daughters.

  11. The Cultural Exorcism

    The families come together with religious leaders from various faiths to perform a united exorcism. They hope to harness different cultural practices to confront the demonic presence afflicting the girls.

  12. The Exorcism Ritual

    During the exorcism, the girls are restrained, and Ann wields a crucifix to challenge the entity. The confrontation leads to shocking revelations about Victor's past decisions regarding Sorenne and Angela.

  13. A Tragic Choice

    As the exorcism intensifies, the demon reveals a harrowing ultimatum, forcing the parents to choose who will survive the ordeal. This moment culminates in a heart-stopping confrontation between life and death.

  14. The Aftermath

    The aftermath of the exorcism leaves devastation in its wake. While Victor mourns and reflects on his choices, he visits Sorenne's grave, and the grieving families struggle to cope with their losses.

    Where
    Sorenne's Grave
  15. Bittersweet Reunions

    In a poignant moment, Chris rekindles her relationship with Regan, reflecting on their painful past while providing a flicker of hope amid tragedy. The film closes with lingering questions about love, loss, and redemption.

    Where
    Hospital

Last updated: October 24, 2024 at 09:18

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Timeline questions answered

The Exorcist: Believer Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Exorcist: Believer (2023): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did Victor choose to save Sorenne over Angela in Haiti?

During the earthquake in Haiti, Victor faced an impossible choice: save his pregnant wife Sorenne or their unborn child. He chose to save Sorenne, but she still died from her injuries. The demon reveals during the exorcism that Victor's choice was actually to save Sorenne, not Angela, meaning Angela should have died in utero. This decision haunts Victor throughout the film and explains why he lost his faith.

Foreshadowing: The film hints at Victor's faith loss in the opening prologue, showing his spiritual decline after the tragedy.

  • victor fielding
  • sorenne
  • haiti earthquake
  • choice
  • unborn child
Q2

What happened to Angela and Katherine during the three days they were missing?

After conducting a séance in the woods to contact Angela's deceased mother Sorenne, both girls went missing for three days. They were eventually found in a barn, but they had no memory of what happened. The film implies they crossed into a demonic realm and brought back a demonic presence, which later manifested as their possession.

Foreshadowing: Miranda suggests early on that the girls may have traversed to Hell during their disappearance.

  • angela
  • katherine
  • missing
  • woods
  • barn
  • three days
Q3

What does the demon reveal about Victor's past during the exorcism?

During the exorcism ritual, the demon reveals Victor's deepest secret: thirteen years ago in Haiti, when forced to choose between saving his pregnant wife or their unborn child, Victor chose to save Sorenne. However, Sorenne still died from her injuries, meaning the choice should have resulted in Angela's death. This revelation shatters Victor and explains why he has lived without faith.

Foreshadowing: The Haiti prologue shows Victor facing an impossible decision while a voodoo practitioner looks on.

  • demon
  • revelation
  • exorcism
  • haiti
  • sorenne
  • choice
Q4

Why did Katherine die but Angela survive the exorcism?

The demon forced the parents to choose which child would survive. When Tony finally declared his choice, Angela flatlined, suggesting Tony chose Katherine to live. However, the demon then revealed its true selection: it claimed Katherine, letting Angela wake up. This means the demon deliberately deceived the parents, the choice was ultimately meaningless as the demon had already predetermined Katherine's fate.

Foreshadowing: The demon's cruel nature is established through its manipulation throughout the film.

  • katherine
  • angela
  • death
  • survival
  • demon choice
  • exorcism
Q5

How is The Exorcist: Believer connected to the original Exorcist film?

Chris MacNeil, the mother from the 1973 original Exorcist, appears in this film. After her traumatic experience with her possessed daughter Regan, Chris wrote a memoir about exorcisms and dedicated her life to studying them. She helps Victor and the families attempt to exorcise the girls, though her own relationship with Regan remained fractured until the film's conclusion.

Foreshadowing: Ann provides Victor with Chris's memoir, linking the two films thematically.

  • chris macneil
  • regan
  • original exorcist
  • connection
  • sequel
Q6

What was the demon's ultimatum during the exorcism?

During the combined exorcism ritual, the demon forced Victor and Tony to choose which of their daughters would survive. The demon presented this as a cruel game, forcing the fathers to decide between saving one child at the expense of the other. This psychological torture was designed to break their spirits.

Foreshadowing: The demon's manipulative behavior throughout the possession episodes builds toward this confrontation.

  • demon
  • ultimatum
  • choice
  • exorcism
  • parents
  • survival
Q7

Why did the exorcism involve multiple religious traditions?

Chris MacNeil recommended incorporating various cultural practices into the exorcism because no single religion had proven sufficient against this particular demon. The team included Father Maddox (Catholic), Don Revans (Baptist), Stuart (Pentecostal), and Dr. Beehibe (rootwork healer), representing a unified approach to combat a powerful demonic force.

Foreshadowing: Chris's global studies of exorcisms informed her understanding of what methods might work.

  • exorcism
  • catholic
  • baptist
  • pentecostal
  • rootwork
  • multiple religions
Q8

What happens to Victor's faith by the end of the movie?

Victor lost his faith after Sorenne's death in Haiti, but during the exorcism, he rediscovers it while praying for his daughter. He uses Sorenne's scarf to bolster Angela's spirit. Though his rediscovery comes at a tremendous cost, Katherine's death, it represents a spiritual renewal amid tragedy. He visits Sorenne's grave in the aftermath, finally at peace with his choice.

Foreshadowing: Victor initially refuses to pray at the hospital, showing his complete faith loss.

  • victor
  • faith
  • sorenne
  • scarf
  • prayer
  • redemption
Q9

Why does Angela attack Victor after returning from the woods?

After Angela and Katherine return from their three-day disappearance, Angela begins exhibiting violent behavior, including attacking her father Victor. This is a manifestation of her possession, the demonic entity is taking control of her body and causing violent outbursts. Her attacks specifically target Victor because the demon wants to punish him for his past choice.

Foreshadowing: Katherine's similar violent outburst during church service confirms the supernatural nature of their condition.

  • angela
  • attack
  • victorian
  • possession
  • violence
Q10

What happens between Chris and Regan at the end of the film?

In the final scene, Chris visits Regan in the hospital, and they reconcile after years of being estranged. The memoir Chris wrote about Regan's possession brought fame but also drove a wedge between them. The film ends with this bittersweet reunion, providing one of the few moments of hope amid the tragedy.

Foreshadowing: Chris mentions she hasn't seen Regan since the memoir's success distance them.

  • chris
  • regan
  • reunion
  • hospital
  • reconciliation

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Exorcist: Believer, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Exorcist: Believer tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about desperate parents fighting evil like The Exorcist: Believer

Ordinary people pushed to their limits to save a child from an ancient evil. If you were gripped by the harrowing parental struggle in The Exorcist: Believer, this section features similar horror movies where a mother or father must confront a supernatural threat to save their child. These films share a heavy emotional weight and high-intensity stakes, focusing on the terror of family endangerment.

  • desperate
  • harrowing
  • oppressive
  • anxious
  • traumatic
  • creepy
  • Tone: dark, traumatic, desperate
  • Pacing: steady, escalating dread
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically begin with a seemingly normal family life that is shattered by a supernatural incursion, often targeting a child. The plot follows the parent's desperate investigation and escalating confrontation with the entity, forcing them to challenge their own beliefs and make immense sacrifices. The journey is defined by a race against time and a battle of wills against an ancient, malevolent force.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here because they share the central theme of parental love as the ultimate weapon against darkness. They consistently feature high emotional stakes, a dark and oppressive tone, and a focus on the visceral fear of a child's corruption or loss, creating a uniquely harrowing and relatable horror experience.

Bittersweet horror movies with tragic costs like The Exorcist: Believer

Stories where defeating the monster comes at a tragic and permanent price. If the heavy, bittersweet ending of The Exorcist: Believer resonated with you, explore these horror films where survival comes with a devastating cost. These movies often feature bleak choices, permanent loss, and an ending that is more about fragile reconciliation than happy victory, sharing a heavy emotional weight.

  • somber
  • traumatic
  • harrowing
  • bittersweet
  • bleak
  • heavy
  • Tone: dark, bittersweet, somber
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves characters facing an overwhelming threat that forces them into an impossible choice. The climax often involves a sacrifice—of a life, innocence, or belief—that leads to the antagonist's defeat. However, the conclusion is defined by the lingering trauma and the hollow nature of a victory paid for with deep, personal loss, leaving characters and the audience in a state of somber reflection.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared emotional conclusion: a victory that feels like a loss. They prioritize heavy emotional weight over cathartic release, exploring the lasting impact of trauma and the idea that some horrors change you forever. The tone remains dark and the mood somber, even in resolution.

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Every angle

The Exorcist: Believer (2023) Explained: Plot, Ending, Timeline & Characters

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