‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ movie review: Russell Crowe brilliant in a simple tale of exorcism

Russell Crowe in a scene from ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ | Photo credit: Sony Pictures

Russell Crowe has a lot of fun in his first horror film. Based on the memoirs of Gabriel Amorth, an exorcist tells his story And An Exorcist: More Stories, pope’s exorcist Established in 1987, Castile. A grieving widow Julia (Alex Essos), her rebellious daughter Amy (Laurel Marsden), and her traumatized son Henry (Peter D’Souza-Fighoni) take up residence in an abandoned church in Castile, the only home of Julia’s husband Roberto Vasquez (Santi). It’s a thing. Bayon) left for family.

Julia’s idea is to renovate the church, sell it, and return home to America. The local priest, Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto), is helpful and supportive. Naturally, things go bump in the dark, which is the case with gloomy interiors all the time.

Henry, who was in the car with his father when he died, has not spoken since the accident. Instead of going out into the sunshine and taking in the stunning scenery, Henry goes peering into the dark – why do people always go to dark places in horror movies? He gets some scary things going and then terrible things start happening.

Father Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe), an Italian Catholic priest and exorcist of the Diocese of Rome whom we previously saw in action, is summoned to Rome, expelling a demon from a young man in the body of a pig. While the Pope (Franco Nero) is a supporter of Amorth and considers his work essential, there are others including Cardinal Sullivan (Ryan O’Grady) who feel exorcisms and demons are dreadfully old-fashioned and in need of a modern church. Don’t serve the image.

There is a superficial discussion on the nature and existence of evil and Amorth drives off on his Vespa (inspired by seeing priests riding around on Vespas, Crowe clearly insisted on Amorth riding) The latest of Satan’s minions to tackle.

The demon (Ralph Inson) in whom Henry lives knows things about Amorth, which proves he is the real deal and rather powerful. Amorth tells Escibel that the demon will use his guilt against them and that they must stay strong by praying in Latin.

Amorth carries the burden of survivor’s guilt and failure to save a damsel in distress while Esquibel chooses the church over love. In addition to swearing, upside-down spider-walking on walls and resurrecting red cardinals instead of good old projectile green vomit, there is a conspiracy involving the Spanish Inquisition.

A recent re-reading of William Peter Blatty the Exorcist (1971), which was the inspiration for the successful 1973 William Friedkin film (50 Years Ago on December 26), proved thrilling and disturbing in equal measure. The novel is thrilling for the gradual revelation of the cause of Regan’s bizarre behavior, as well as the battle between a guilt-ridden father Damian Karras and a powerful demon, and troubling for the novel’s explicitly anti-feminist stance.

pope’s exorcist Not derailed by any such subtext. Screenwriters Michael Petroni and Ivan Spiliotopoulos ( unholy, The film appears to have been cut off substantially by the sensor, as it moves from point A to B jerkily. Though this doesn’t get in the way of enjoying Crowe as an amorth, sailing around on his little scooter double-guzzling shot espressos or whiskeys and chirping “cuckoos”.

Pops The Exorcist is currently playing in theaters