The Believers (1987)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

John Schlesinger

Writers:

Mark Frost (screenplay) and
Nicholas Conde (novel)

Release Date:

10 June 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Nothing Can Stop Them. No One Can Help You. They Know Who You Are.

Plot:

A New York psychiatrist finds that a voodoo cult, which believes in child sacrifice, has a keen interest in his own son.

Plot Keywords:

New York | Voodoo | Cult | Police | Death

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Martin Sheen	...	Cal Jamison
Helen Shaver	...	Jessica Halliday
Harley Cross	...	Chris Jamison
Robert Loggia	...	Lt. Sean McTaggert
Elizabeth Wilson	...	Kate Maslow
Harris Yulin	...	Robert Calder
Lee Richardson	...	Dennis Maslow
Richard Masur	...	Marty Wertheimer
Carla Pinza	...	Carmen Ruiz
Jimmy Smits	...	Tom Lopez
Raúl Dávila	...	Oscar Sezine
Malick Bowens	...	Palo
Janet-Laine Green	...	Lisa Jamison
Larry Ramos	...	Diner Counterman
Philip Corey	...	Calder's Assistant

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

New Zealand:R16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 (w) | Norway:18 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Company:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jessica and Cal are participating in the Santeria ceremony, Jessica is sprayed with chicken blood. The blood initially hits the edge of her shirt near her neck. In a following shot, that part of her shirt is completely clean.

Quotes:

Customs agent: [Arriving at the airport] Open this please?
Palo: [First Lines] Just personel items... no need to look in there
[Palo stares deep into the man's eyes]
Customs agent: [Now in a trance like state] All-Right.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Head Case (#3.15)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Patacon Pisas

Good horror film

Scary, good thriller about a dangerous faction of Santeria, a Latin-American based religion which believes in animal sacrifice, which here is offerring children as sacrifices in New York. Martin Sheen is very good as a police psychologist who moves to New York with his son after his wife's bizarre death, and must deal with the very strange doings occuring around him. The fine cast includes a younger Jimmy Smits, Robert Loggia, Helen Shaver, and Harley Cross. Director John Schlesinger provides good shocks, and good the movie has a fine late 80's New York feel, even though most of it was filmed in Toronto!