'The Pope's Exorcist' review: Russell Crowe versus demon, sans horror
Remember the 1973 film The Exorcist? While it still remains a favorite of many, The Pope's Exorcist, based on Father Gabriele Amorth's one of the real-life exorcist cases, is anything but horrific. Starring Russell Crowe as Father Amorth, this latest horror movie lacks scenes that'll make you jump from your seat in fear. Read our review of the film that was released on Friday.
Premise
Father Amorth, the chief exorcist appointed by the Pope, is sent to Spain on a case to tackle a demon in an Abbey that may possibly trouble the Vatican. When he arrives, he sees a young boy who has been possessed by the "King of demons" with devilish plans for the church. In his pursuit to exercise exorcism, he's assisted by Father Esquible.
It fails to meet the chills promised in trailer
When the trailer of the film was released, it sure had set expectations, primarily for three reasons - Crowe, it was based on true events, and of course, the horror genre which has a huge fan following. However, upon its release, it failed to meet the expectations that the trailer had set. The Pope's Excorcist barely has scenes that'll give you chills while watching.
A jumbled attempt at direction
Director Julius Avery shows a few cliche elements- the possession of an innocent child and bulging blood-red eyes, a haunted house, the "if God exists, so does the devil" narrative, and people being thrown in the air. Avery also tried to show other things such as subtle references to sexual abuse and the Spanish Inquisition. But, overall, it appeared to be a jumbled effort.
Crowe takes the cake
The real-life Father Amorth had humor to himself, something that Crowe has aced in bringing out on the screen. It is his one-liners and the 'cuckoo' moments that will make you laugh and help you prepare for the (not-so) scary scenes. Peter DeSouza-Feighoney (the possessed kid) and Daniel Zovatto are equally interesting to watch, but it is Crowe who steals the thunder.
Will Avery-Crowe show more chapters from Father Amorth's life?
Father Amorth (91), who died in 2016, claimed to have performed over 1,00,000 exorcisms. Though, the movie is said to be based on one of his most devilish experiences, there are still "199 places where God isn't allowed" that the film didn't explore. Avery ended this movie by leaving scope for more chapters, but will there be sequels? Only time can tell.
Watch it for the love of Crowe
The Pope's Exorcist also features Alex Essoe and Lauren Marsden as the mother and sister of the possessed, respectively. Franco Nero as the Pope and Cornell John as Bishop Lumumba are clever choices too while Ralph Ineson voiced the devil. While we give this movie 2.5 stars out of 5, we would recommend you watch it for Crowe's performance and the humor quotient.
