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Based on the work of Father Gabriel Amorth, The Exorcist of the Pope arrives in movie theaters, a new horror proposal of which we share our review and criticism
In 1987 Father Gabriel Amorth was recognized as one of the official exorcists by the Vatican. But in Spain he will have one of the biggest challenges of his career, as The Exorcist of the Pope shows us, a new horror proposal that reaches movie theaters.
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Throughout the last 50 years, horror movies have seen with William Friedkin’s The Exorcist an interesting beta with diabolic possessions, without forgetting Evil Dead, Sam Raimi’s first film, or James Wan’s The Conjuring.
Now the filmmaker Julius Avery arrives in 2023 with The Exorcist of the Pope, starring Russell Crowe, in a film based (in theory) on real events.
A different proposal or more of the same?
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Gabriel Amorth, who is His Holiness’s official exorcist, is sent to an abbey in Spain. Where a powerful demon has possessed a child, unleashing a series of calamities on his mother and sister.
But Amorth not only has to fight against this infernal entity, which threatens to unveil a series of conspiracies that would throw overboard the Vatican’s work as Holy See.
The tape has a good start, but as time progresses the plot is very predictable with classic elements of the horror genre. Demonic possessions and pending accounts from the past are the leitmotiv.
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Russell Crowe gives us an impeccable version of Father Gabriel Amorth who fights the devil without neglecting his charisma and his sense of humor, which becomes a great weapon against the presence of the devil.
Unfortunately, the good start of the tape gradually fades with sieges and common places that do not make any difference with tapes like The Conjuring or The Exorcist, demystifying the facts on which it is based.
SMASH Verdict ⭐⭐
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Despite having a good start, The Pope’s Exorcist does not intend to invent the black thread as far as horror movies are concerned, but its resources do not help it to be a film that leaves some contribution to the genre.
The film falls into old resources and special effects, which make the plot very predictable, especially in the final stretch, where it is glimpsed that there will be more cases to be dealt with by Father Amorth, who was the head of the International Association of Exorcists. between the years 1987 and 2000.
While Russell Crowe’s work is good as Gabriel Amorth, The Pope’s Exorcist misses a good opportunity to go home with something to remember.
The Pope’s Exorcist arrives this April 5 at movie theaters in the Mexican Republic.
Fountain: Gabriel Torres /SMASH