The Believers (1987)

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

Director:

John Schlesinger

Writers:

Mark Frost (screenplay), Nicholas Conde (novel)

Stars:

Martin Sheen, Helen Shaver, Harley Cross

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

After the death of his wife, police psychiatrist Cal Jamison moves to New York. There he has to help in the investigation of the murder of two youths, who seem to have been immolated during a cult ritual. Jamison believes it's been Voodoo and, ignoring the warnings of his housekeeper, enters the scenery and soon gets under their influence. They try to get him to sacrifice his own son.

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Plot Keywords:

child sacrifice | ritual | female rear nudity | female nudity | animal sacrifice | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 June 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Los creyentes

Filming Locations:

Magder Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Gross USA:

$18,753,438

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The address shown on Lt. McTaggert's (Robert Loggia) business card is 220 E. 113th St New York, NY 10001. The phone number is 212-557-7081

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Goofs

(at around 42 mins) When the second body is discovered, you can see him clearly breathing while the investigators are photographing.

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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.

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Connections

Referenced in NCIS: Head Case (2006)

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Soundtracks

Flute Concerto In G
Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Aurèle Nicolet (as Aurele Nicolet) and Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest, Amsterdam
Courtesy of Philips Records, a division of Polygram Classics

User Reviews

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!