The Believers is a horror/neo-noir film directed by John Schlesinger, released in 1987 and starring Martin Sheen, Robert Loggia and Helen Shaver. It is based on the 1982 novel The Religion by Nicholas Conde.
After the accidental death of his wife by electrocution, Cal Jamison (Martin Sheen) moves to New York City, where a rash of brutal, ritualistic child murders, supposedly committed by members of a Hispanic cult practicing a malevolent version of brujerÃa have been confounding the NYPD. Things take a turn for the worse when the cult targets Jamison's son Chris (Harley Cross).
The film was in large part an influence on the SanterÃa-based cult established by serial killers Adolfo Constanzo and Sara Aldrete. The film led a few members of the cult to say that what was shown in the film was a misrepresentation of the real peaceful intentions of the religion and its meaning.
The film was released theatrically in the United States by Orion Pictures in June 1987. It grossed $18,753,438 at the box office.
The film was released on DVD in the United States by MGM Home Entertainment in 2002.
The film score by J. Peter Robinson was released on Varese Sarabande Records on lp and cassette in
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