JANUARY 1988 The Believers tok (1986) Martin Sheen, Helen Shaver, Jimmy Smits. Directed by John Schlesinger. 100 min. HBO. $89.95. Available Jan. 13. VIEWERS GUIDE: R; vio- lence, sexual situations. ‘Sychiatrist Cal Jamison (Mar- tin Sheen) has a wonderful wife, a fine son and a beauti- ful house far from the stress and ugli- ness of the.city. But after his wife’s death in a freak acci- dent, Jamison needs a break with the past. He moves to Manhat- tan with his son and sets up a practice in association with the police department. At first, every- thing appears to be working out. But gradually Jami- son finds himself surrounded’ by evidence that a twisted form of San- teria, a religion steeped in secrecy and magic, is the thread connecting a series of events ranging from the peculiar to the terrifying. And then Jamison’s son is targeted .by the More thriller than horror, The Believers is a movie with a message. For all its civilized veneer, the mes- sage goes, New York City is really an exotic urban jungle seething with pagan rites, at heart as dark as Martin Sheen and Helen Shaver the Amazon River delta. The em- phasis is on dialogue and character development rather than shocking scenes. Fright fans may be sorely disap- pointed, but for others, the film of- fers a talented cast — including Sheen, Jimmy Smits (TV's L.A. Law), Robert Loggia and Helen Shaver — in a polished psycho- thriller that includes a safe, arm- chair tour of Spanish Harlem and a course in what happens when a reli- gion becomes a cult. — Maitland McDonagh VIDEO DIGEST * JANUARY 1988