Directed By Julius Avery

Starring – Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe

The Plot – Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican, The Pope’s Exorcist follows Amorth (Crowe) as he investigates a young boy’s terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden

Rated R for violent content, adult language, sexual references and some nudity

(1) THE POPE’S EXORCIST – Official Trailer (HD) – YouTube

POSITIVES

Most of what separates the greatest possession films from the rest of the field can easily be attributed to the smallest of margins, but here it’s all Russell Crowe, who turns in a committed performance with no shortage of charmisma to an otherwise by the book man of the cloth. Crowe commands the occasion with a combination of stoic fearlessness and a thick Italian accent that not only allows him the kind of obscurity in disappearing seamlessly into the role, but also works wonderfully in the balance of some effectively rendered off-beat dark humor that prescribes some much-needed levity to scenes of traumatic chaos, without downright undercutting the tension of their magnitude. Besides Crowe, the film is blessed with meaningful choices in direction from Julius Avery, who substitutes jump scares and fake-out dream sequences mostly synonymous with the genre, for thickly foreboding ambiance in atmosphere that continuously merits an urgency and vulnerability in the plights of our respective family members. Part of this is certainly in the time donated to each member to flesh them and their backstories out in ways that the audience can capably interpret, but so much more involves the dreary isolated setting, gothic-dominated set designs, and of course Jed Kurzel’s somberly ominous score, which blankets the many engagements with haunting hymns of sorrowful splendor. Beyond this, the effects work is more believable than not, with a balance of practical versus artificial during precise moments for each of them to enhance their captivating appeal. For practical, the make-up of the possessed and deconstruction of the set design make for some high stakes intensity throughout some truly ambitious set pieces, and for C.G, the skeletal and muscular distortion of the victimized emphasizes the internal struggle from within that continuously contorts without downright wiping away the inklings of humanity that persist in the balance. Finally, much appreciation can be paid to the creativity of the production for reaching for the coveted R-rating that other inferior possession films aren’t fortunate enough to attain. Doing so harvests naturalistic responses in the dialogue to some life-threatening situations, but beyond that allows the expressive nature of the demon to come to full-fledged fruition, even if that occasion lends itself to some gross-out gags (Quite literally) that often overwhelm the intention.

NEGATIVES

With a better screenplay, “The Pope’s Exorcist” could’ve hung with the likes of “The Exorcist” or “The Haunting of Emily Rose”, but too often it’s plagued by the limitations of creativity that have it feeling like a greatest hits of predecessors that we can check off one at a time. Sometimes it’s in the outline of the plot, like a family moving to a spooky surrounding they inherit, which has only been done a thousand times before, or other times the possession itself, with upside down walking on hands or twisting of the neck, which feels like a requirement for any possession film. Too often, the film’s biggest scenes never warrant a uniquely expressive voice of their own originality, wasting away a solid production by attempting to play it safe with scenes and sequences that are far too derivative to ever etch their own place in the overcrowded stratosphere. The film is also marred by heavy predictability, both in the supposed revealtion of its twist, as well as the conventionalism of its climax, which feel premeditated after watching an overtly revealing trailer. Considering much of the script’s attention lends itself to this buried secret, the result doesn’t even come close to the promise, and considering much of the momentum is given away during a couple of scenes of interaction early on, you could easily sniff it out if you’ve seen enough of these films to capably catch on. Finally, while the child performances are passable enough for what is asked of them, the possession of the boy at the film’s plot is unintentionally hilarious for a couple of reasons that are out of his control. For starters, what was up with this Cockney accent? The boy is English, and the story persists in Italy, so even if you’re attempting geographic relevance, it doesn’t work. It’s also shamelessly over the top, with horrific dialogue and reactionary work that were supposed to be menacing, but instead conjured hilarity and humility to the engagement, leaving me with more laughs than thrills throughout.

OVERALL
“The Pope’s Exorcist” isn’t on the top tier of possession films, but its ambition in production and three-dimensional versatility in the unconventional turn of Crowe leaves it far from the worst, with enough entertainment value to succeed the 98 minute run time. While the frights are limited, and the cliches of predecessors exorcise any kind of originality or unpredictability from the proceedings, this is one exorcism that has its soul in the right place, with the kind of entertainment value that screams post-Easter on everyone’s calendar.

My Grade: 6/10 or C+