“The Pope’s Exorcist” Review
Russell Crowe stars in “The Pope’s Exorcist” as Father Gabriel Amorth, the real life exorcist who performed the practice for decades until his 2016 death.
While exciting in theory, most of the horror films made about exorcism are the most boring, lazy and cliched pieces of tripe imaginable. The reason? They keep trying to do the impossible. They’re trying to rip off “The Exorcist” which simply can’t be outdone. Trying to make a better film about exorcism than the 1973 William Friedkin classic is like trying to make a shark film better than “Jaws” or an extraterrestrial horror film that suprasses “Alien.” Is it possible? Sure but the challenges towards doing so are many.
Not to say that no exorcism film has been good because there have been a few contenders that can be mentioned in the same conversation as “The Exorcist” including “Exorcist III” (directed by the author of the original “Exorcist” book William Peter Blatty), the first two “Conjuring” films and “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.” But they are very few when compared to the onslaught of mediocre and painful films about demon expulsion including “The Exorcist II: The Heretic,” one of the worst horror films ever made. While not a game changer by any means, “The Pope’s Exorcist” proved to be a surprise by being a decently compelling film with some creative scares and interesting characters.
Based on the writings of Father Gabrielle Amorth, the chief exorcist of the Vatican, the film stars Russell Crowe as the famed priest who travels to Spain to perform the exorcism of a young boy named Henry (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney) on the direct orders of Pope John Paul II (Franco Nero). However, as Amorth and fellow priest Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto) begin their prayers, they begin to realize that there is something far more sinister about this demon than anything they’ve encountered before.
When you go into an exorcism film, there are certain cliches that you expect including the demon knowing personal information about the priest, a visit to the doctor that shows nothing physically wrong with the possessed person, scars forming words, bodies being twisted into terrifying shapes and all of the other goodies. What makes “The Pope’s Exorcist” so refreshing is how Evan Spiliotopoulos and Michael Petroni’s script forgoes the tired tropes and keeps the focus on the ones that are still entertaining.
Russell Crowe’s performance is probably the most commendable thing about the film because of how quickly he sells you the ideas of exorcism. In the film, there’s a subplot about how many in the church view Father Amorth’s practices as outdated and no longer necessary. So, not only is he trying to help those possessed by evil, he’s also trying to prove his place in the world. Crowe’s also compelling because, pardon the pun, he’s quite unorthodox. When you think of a priest, especially one that takes on exorcisms, you probably think of a very pious, stone faced man who never wavers. This film treats Amorth like a more dynamic character. He swears, he drinks whiskey and he cracks jokes. This doesn't make him a bad priest. If anything, it makes him more compelling because you relate to him more.
The film’s characters are all worth getting invested in because, while many of their needs are basic for a horror film like this, their performances have you locked into the story. Henry’s mother and sister (Alex Essoe and Laurel Marsden) aren’t given the most elaborate backstories, but you still don’t want to see anything happen to this family. The drama of Father Esquibel was also quite gripping and I think that Danile Zovatto’s performance stood quite well against a powerhouse like Russell Crowe. As for the boy who gets possessed by a demon of hell, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney is giving it his all and it pays off so well. His physical performance, no doubt aided by outstanding wirework and CGI, is terrifying and the voice actor of the entity, Ralph Ineson, is delightfully menacing.
Director Julius Avery, whose previous work has included an underrated horror film “Overlord,” understands the power of atmosphere and inventive camerawork. The ancient abbey that the film is set in has such a dark personality to it and the film is paced so well. Just when it seems that too much action is happening, Avery will take a quick break to focus on character and then go back to the terror while never losing the tension.
However, if you’re not a fan of exorcism films, either because they’re not your thing or you view them all as lame ripoffs of “The Exorcist,” I’m not sure this film will convert you. But out of all of the films concerning this subject, “The Pope’s Exorcist” is definitely one of the better ones I’ve seen.
