Father Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe), chief exorcist for the Vatican, battles Satan and innocent-possessing demons. A detailed portrait of a priest who performed more than 100,000 exorcisms in his lifetime. While it’s not completely devoid of possession genre clichés, The Pope’s Exorcist makes valiant attempts to put emphasis on its themes rather than gore and jump scares. Russell Crowe is a powerhouse as Father Gabriel Amorth, amplifying what would be a far lesser final product without his likable screen presence and well placed jokes. I mean, it’s Russell Crowe playing a wisecracking priest who rides a Vespa scooter, drinks tons of espresso, and fights demons with a killer sense of humor and his unyielding faith in G-d. Daniel Zovatto is also excellent as the younger, more inexperienced Father Esquibel and the buddy-cop like chemistry between Esquibel and Amorth was a great dynamic that kept the film anchored in its themes of facing one’s sins and forgiving oneself of past guilt. It’s so great to see Franco Nero, the original Django back on the big screen, and he does a fairly good job playing The Pope. Director Julius Avery explores the mythology of secret organizations within the church, how disbelief of evil gives the devil power, and a retconning of certain historical aspects of the Spanish Inquisition. It comes as no surprise that the modern secular Catholic Church has denounced this film’s very existence and the mainstream Hollywood establishment is doing their best to ignore its theatrical release. Like I stated before, there are plenty of possession movie tropes throughout that may bother some, but for me it was the intriguing approach that Avery took with focusing heavily on the story of saving this possessed boy instead of making it about the gore and scares itself. I really like that the film leaves the door open for a potential sequel and I would love to see more accounts of Father Amorth’s encounters with the supernatural. I find it very interesting that there has barely been any marketing for this movie and that hardly any prominent film critics are talking about it. Overall, despite its inability to fully escape familiar demon possession movie clichés, The Pope’s Exorcist is carried by atmospheric cinematography, a potent supporting cast, well placed moments of levity, terrific practical effects, a timely message about faith, and a charismatic lead performance from Russell Crowe, one that opens the door for what would be a welcome future return to the role of Father Amorth.
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