The Pope's Exorcist Reviews

The Pope's Exorcist is directed by Julius Avery and is based on the true story of Father Gabriele Amorth, who was the Vatican's leading exorcist. Father Amorth's research and work in the field of exorcism and demonology is world-renowned. The movie stars Russell Crowe (Gladiator), Daniel Zovatto (It Follows), Alex Essoe (Doctor Sleep), Franco Nero (Django Unchained), Laurel Marsden (Survive), and Peter DeSouza-Feighoney.In the late 80's Father Amorth (Crowe) is considered one of the Vatican's leading exorcists. When modern viewpoints clash with traditional religious views, Amorth finds the title of exorcist in peril. It is then that he is given the case of a possessed young boy named Henry (DeSouza-Feighoney). But this is no ordinary possession. Henry, his family, Amorth, and assisting Father Esquibel (Zovatto) are all put to the test as they fight a demon unknown to them but who knows them all too well.The trailer for The Pope's Exorcist reveals a dark and gritty film, on par with most possession or exorcism movies. However, after the opening scene, some viewers may be surprised to see that the entire film isn't as gritty as they might expect. Bright 80's tracks ring through the theater speakers, and it is hard not to smile at the image of Father Amorth in his black cassock, riding around on his red and white moped. While the juxtaposition of comedy and horror can work well together, the humor in this film is subdued and is solely placed on the character of Amorth. Because of that, the tone of the first third of the movie feels unbalanced. It isn't until Amorth arrives in Spain that the story begins to pick up and the film comes to life. Crowe's portrayal of Amorth is multi-faceted: haunted but jolly, a serious exorcist with a sense of humor. Crowe's excellent performance shows a character who knows what he is doing and has seen-possibly too many-things in his life. As Amorth, Crowe is as charismatic and charming as he is sarcastic and impulsive. Fans of the genre may enjoy Amorth's unique personality as most exorcists depicted in movies are just serious and moody. All of the characters in The Pope's Exorcist have their own set of "inner demons" which they must battle as they fight an actual demon. However, some of the characters lack depth and the storyline itself feels a little cliché. Despite this, the last half of the movie is quite thrilling and engaging.The visuals in the film are passable. The location and the abbey are equal parts beautiful and creepy. It is an interesting and effective idea to use lighting to contrast the brightness and naivety of the Italian setting with the dark and morose setting of the sinister abbey. While the makeup and CG used to depict possession in Henry (and the other possessed victims depicted in the story) is done well, there is little to set them apart from other possession stories. Horror fans might not find The Pope's Exorcist to be overly scary, but there are many scenes which are both gripping and immersive. The ending leaves the movie open to either a sequel or a series, but that may be pushing it as it is enjoyable as a standalone. Just as the characters realized in the film, sometimes it is best to leave well enough alone.