The Pope's Exorcist

The Pope's Exorcist, directed by Julius Avery, attempts to break into the exorcism sub-genre, but fails to distinguish itself from previous landmark works, notably William Friedkin's classic The Exorcist. Despite the presence of Russell Crowe in the role of Father Gabriele Amorth, an exorcist priest, the film fails to deliver a memorable experience.

The screenplay, written by Michael Petroni and Evan Spiliotopoulos, draws on Amorth's books to take a different approach to exorcism. However, the film falls into the clichés and hackneyed conventions of the genre, lacking originality. Crowe's calculated leaps and bouncy dialogue bring a certain lightness and a touch of humor, making his character enjoyable to watch. However, the film lacks scary or unsettling elements and fails to create any real tension.

The story centers on an American widow, Julia, and her children, who move to a Spanish abbey where demonic phenomena begin to occur. Amorth is tasked with solving this particular case, and the film also touches on elements of Amorth's past and that of the young Spanish pastor who assists him. Unfortunately, these elements are not sufficiently explored and remain on the surface, leaving the viewer wanting more.

Despite some scary scenes and tense moments, the film suffers from a lack of cohesion and in-depth character development. The emphasis is more on light-hearted humor and entertainment than on genuine horror. Amorth's movements between the various locations could have been better exploited to add visual interest, but this remains under-exploited.

The undeniable highlight of the film is Russell Crowe's performance as Father Gabriele Amorth. His performance brings a touch of authenticity and charisma to the character, elevating the film beyond a banal horror procedural. Russell Crowe manages to captivate the audience and elicit a certain level of commitment despite the film's shortcomings.

The Pope's Exorcist is a film that struggles to stand out in the exorcism genre. Despite Russell Crowe's solid performance, the film lacks any real terror or in-depth story. It remains pleasant to watch thanks to its entertaining aspect, but fails to offer a captivating and memorable experience. For horror film fans, it can be considered a decent option, but doesn't rise to the level of the genre's classics.

The Pope's Exorcist
Directed by Julius Avery
Screenplay by Michael Petroni, Evan Spiliotopoulos
Story by R. Dean McCreary, Chester Hastings, Jeff Katz
Based on An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories by Father Gabriele Amorth
Produced by Doug Belgrad, Michael Patrick Kaczmarek, Jeff Katz
Starring Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe, Franco Nero
Cinematography : Khalid Mohtaseb
Edited by Matt Evans
Music by Jed Kurzel
Production companies : Screen Gems, 2.0 Entertainment, Loyola Productions
Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Release dates : April 6, 2023 (International), April 14, 2023 (United States), May 10 2023 (France)
Running time ! 103 minutes

Viewed May 05, 2023 (VOD)

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