This crime story set in a large city, featuring Martin Sheen, takes an unexpected turn into supernatural horror territory. A therapist who has lost his wife relocates to New York City and unexpectedly becomes involved with the police department as they investigate several murders connected to a cult resembling Caribbean Voodoo. The situation escalates when he learns that the cult intends to use his son in a ritualistic sacrifice. Helen Shaver portrays his landlord, who also presents a potential romantic connection. "The Believers," released in 1987, begins as an adult crime drama but steadily becomes more disturbing and frightening. The narrative and overall feel are comparable to "Wolfen" from 1981, except that the cult’s practices replace the idea of supernatural wolves. It's notably better than another film with a similar premise, “The Serpent and the Rainbow,” which came out in 1988. The introduction of demonic elements leads to some disturbing scenes—including deaths caused by electric shock, suicides, gruesome sacrifices, snakes, and unsettling spiders—though there are also moments of brightness. Sheen delivers an excellent performance as the lead character, and Shaver contributes her talents to the film. A particularly startling scene involving spiders was later copied in "Urban Legends: Bloody Mary" (2005). The film’s length is 1 hour and 44 minutes, and filming occurred in both New York City and Toronto. GRADE: B-

Source on TMDB