Believers

Dark melodrama, frightening and entertaining, that drew me in with nonstop action and suspense. Witchcraft is misused to empower a group of wealthy individuals with a madman sorcerer guiding them as they attack the police and all around them to conduct cruel human sacrafices.The movie has plenty of gore and animals being beheaded as both sides battle it out. The psychiatrist (Martin Sheen) is called in to investigate, coincidentally goes to Central Park and encounter one of the ritual sites his young son stupidly picks up some blood soaked items that like so many "B" horror flicks brings fourth dark forces. Even with some of the cliches it's still a good watch. Nice surprise ending it's always the person you least expect with many twists and turns. Even with the destruction of the cult it seems the power of the supernatural draws in the most vulnerable for protection.I have studied some aspects of magic and witchcraft which does not involve any type of sacrafices in fact with many of the books the authors advise against animal sacrafice as counter productive and will NOT increase the power of your castings or ritual. I was surprised to learn that in the United States, animal sacrifice is protected under the First Amendment as a form of religious expression. Even though animal cruelty laws exist, religious groups are exempt from them when it comes to animal sacrifice.

Holy mother this is one scary film and a fright filled banquet of horror. Psychologist ( Martin Sheen ) loses his wife in a tragic accident, later he and his son move to a new location. The gruesome murders of young boys are discovered by authorities ( Martin Sheen ) is called in when at one of the murder scenes a young very distraught latino cop ( Jimmy Smits ) is found rambling and praying in spanish it is learned that something he knows is scaring him and making him fear for his life after discovering that the murdered boys were sacrifices used by a murderous demonic voodoo cultAfter listening to what ( Smits ) tells him about how when they arrived at the scene of the murder someone was there and they were attacked and during the struggle his badge was taken and how as a personal belonging of his will be used in magic against him. As the story goes on the kind caring and knowledgable of santeria spanish maid who works for ( Sheen ) begins to notice strange things happening to his son and uses what she knows to protect the boyAs more and more strange and many unexplainable events take place former skeptic of the occult ( Sheen ) slowly becomes a believer in it. One of my favorite characters is a tall strong young handsome African guy with the spookiest eyes that turns out to be the deadly black magic/voodoo high priest of the cult. The murder scenes and victims in this film are very realistic looking and gory, this is a creepy and scary movie

This movie is nice enough, but the racial element is distracting. As in the original Star Wars, the one black guy in this movie is the core of all evil, with lots of respectable-seeming white people falling dangerously under his spell. One of his spells, when he dances, generates sexual feelings in the non-black women, which is dangerous. Finally, as the black man is slowly destroyed, Terminator-like, his face actually gets more blackened, which is hideous blackness because it is from flesh burns.The movie also equates Catholicism with santeria, however you feel about that. One character pits her "Catholic" amulets and charms against those of santeria, and she does not prevail. Her religious practice, whatever it is, is not understood by the Sheen character or the viewer for most of the movie, demonstrating how is it hardly distinguishable from santeria. Robert Loggia gives a nice performance as usual.

Excellent movie! THE BELIEVERS has been out for a pretty long time, but I just love it. I just ow finished watching it for the 3rd time! The story is great and very much a scary/drama about people involved in the religion of Santeria. From what I've read and heard about Santeria, it can be used for good and for evil. In this story, it is used for evil and there are "sacrifices" one must make in order to fulfill all of their dreams!Martin Sheen is outstanding, as he usually is and Helen Shaver as "Jessica", his love interest is also quite good. This film, while looking at Santeria in the "evil" way, also has a great plot going hand in hand about some child murders that have been occurring around NYC, where Martin Sheen and his 8 year old son, have moved, following the death of Sheen's wife, by a freak electrocution. He works as a therapist for police officers and one of the officers, played excellently by Jimmy Smits, has been investigating these murders, which have a "ritualistic" look to them which is traced back to the practice of Santeria.I don't want to give anymore of it away, as I think this is an extremely well done movie with an engrossing plot, great directing and stellar performances by ALL of the actors involved. Personally, I think this is a movie that is believable, which makes it all the more horrifying.

It is a good old movie and I liked to see old New York. Only romanticizing witchcraft was a mistake. Some people are under the belief that there is some kind of "good" witchcraft that can beat the bad one. But there is none. The Spanish speaking housemaid was an extremely annoying character. It would make me really angry if I find someone doing witchcraft in my house without permission and messing with my stuff.But I still liked the 1980-s atmosphere of the movie. America was different back then. Probably better than the modern one.

Parfait !!

A classic in its genre.Martin Sheen is great.

good film in good condition

Great buy

fair film wd