Review: The Pope’s Exorcist
The film is not your regular kind of horror film in the sense that its primary aim is not to scare audiences. Although there are some scary sequences (which one would have witnessed in multiple other horror films), the story of the film, which is based on a real-life incident, is more about making one realise the supreme nature of the power of God.
Film: The Pope’s Exorcist
Director: Julius Avery
Cast: Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe and Franco Nero
Cinematography: Khalid Mohtaseb
Music-Jed Kursel
Rating: 3.5 stars
Director Julius Avery presents a gripping horror film, the story of which is based on the experiences of well known priest, Father Gabriele Amorth.
Amorth, who was also known as the Vatican’s Exorcist, was someone who reported to the Pope himself. He was the Chief Exorcist and was better known as the demon hunter as he had conducted thousands of exorcisms for the church over 36 years in his battle against evil.
The screenplay of the film is based on two books – ‘An Exorcist tells his story’ and ‘An Exorcist: More stories by Father Gabriele Amorth’.
Synopsis: A widow called Julia (Alex Essoe), along with her teenage daughter Amy (Laurel Marsden), and 12-year-old son Henry (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney), arrives in a small town in Spain to take possession of an old castle her husband has left behind for her.
She hopes to restore the dilapidated structure and then sell it off. With the money she makes from selling the structure off, she plans to return to the US to begin her life afresh.
However, the castle holds within it dark secrets and an evil so powerful that it draws the attention of even the Pope himself.
The spirit in the castle possesses Amy’s young son Henry. It demands that ‘the priest’ be brought to it, for it to let go of the boy. When the local priest (Daniel Zovatto) confronts it, it mocks him and demands the correct priest be brought to him.
It is at this time that the Pope assigns this case to
Father Amorth, but not before warning him that the power he is to confront is extremely strong and that he is worried for his safety.
Amorth arrives and instantly finds out that the power he is confronting is immensely strong and that he hasn’t confronted anything as strong as this one before. The only way to exorcise this evil and save the child would be to know its name. How he finds its name and what he does after that to expel the evil and save the child is what the film is all about.
The film is not your regular kind of horror film in the sense that its primary aim is not to scare audiences. Although there are some scary sequences (which one would have witnessed in multiple other horror films), the story of the film, which is based on a real-life incident, is more about making one realise the supreme nature of the power of God than anything else.
It is also about how even ordinary, weak humans, who are sinners, can call upon God in times of need by wholeheartedly repenting for their sins.
It beautifully showcases the fact that God does not need to come down in person to respond to a challenge thrown by the devil and that he can use mere humans who believe in him to overcome the challenge.
Russell Crowe, who plays the lead character of Gabriele Amorth, does a splendid job. This is the first time that Russell Crowe has acted in a horror movie and it is evident why he has chosen this project.
Crowe just nails the character. He drinks, jokes, flirts and even dares to question religious power centres in the church. But deep down, he remains holy.
His portrayal of Amorth is just refreshing and entertaining to say the least.
Daniel Zovatto, who plays the local priest, also does a splendid job.
Julius Avery’s ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ is a brilliant film that is bound to delight all those who believe in the power of God.
