THE POPE'S EXORCIST (2023)

 

Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican, The Pope's Exorcist follows Amorth 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.

I have always had a great deal of respect for Russell Crowe even since his days as Maximus in Gladiator. While his roles seemed to reduce in popularity for a while, it's impossible to deny that he has been a consistent presence in the movie scene, and is in the midst of a resurgence with the roles of Zeus (Thor: Love and Thunder), and Superman's father, Jor-El (Zack Snyder's Justice League). He's managing to regain the intensity of his earlier performances and getting a fair amount of positivity from the audiences.

I still can't see his face and not remember the shambles that was the mummy movie Tom Cruise, wait, no, I mean that Tom Cruise movie, The Mummy (so easy to get that mixed up). Universal's unfortunate attempt to create create a "Dark Universe" around its menagerie of monsters, by throwing big names at the screen with little focus on creating an actual compelling story. I'm getting off-topic here a little bit, but just wanted to remind the audience that ol' Russell Crowe was a key player in that attempt to start a franchise, and oddly enough that seems to be his position here in The Pope's Exorcist too.

As an exorcism film, The Pope's Exorcist is an inoffensive jaunt through the clichés and elements that we have seen time and time again. Multiple languages, twisting necks, infections, floating, contortions, losing power, vomiting...it all feels very similar. Despite its categorisation as a horror (and it certainly has all of the horror elements), the film ends up squarely stuck in the dramatic thriller category instead. In that regard, the timing works quite well, jumping straight into the action, and never really allowing too much time to get a handle on what is going on. It accelerates unsustainably until the third act where it starts to run out of ideas to close off the film, and starts throwing in visually impressive elements in the hopes that nobody questions what is occurring on screen.

Potentially, the biggest gripe for the flick is its lack of clear direction; not in the story (as it does well at establishing the story and arcs of the characters) but in tone. On the one hand, Director Julius Avery seems to go aiming for a Catholic-centred treasure hunt, merging the likes of Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, National Treasure, and The Da Vinci Code together. This is mainly through its use of humour, puzzles, research, and releasing waves and waves of lore mixed in with actual history. On the other hand, it wants to be the next horror franchise like The Conjuring or Paranormal Activity, through its use of lighting, jump scares, and tropes, but also its need to set up future films should this one do well.

I'm not one to say you can't set up future movies, but the emphasis needs to be on the right place. The audience wants to know that they will enjoy the current 103 minutes, and are not really caring about what the sequel's 103 minutes will be like. 

It's the film's lack of certainty in its direction that confuses the tone and leaves you not feeling the slightest bit scared or shocked during a horror flick, and fairly apathetic about the next 199 adventures that may spin-off from the film.

The cinematography and set designs are well-crafted, but the editing adds to the confusion in tone. The film continually jumps from horror scenes to churches and cathedrals, from demons screaming curses to elderly men reading books, from fighting for your very lives to watching a family driving down the road. They consistently draw you in, build that tension, and then pull you away and release it too early. rather than a huge fright and relief, it's a gentle ebb and flow.

That all being said, I enjoyed The Pope's Exorcist. The pacing moved along quite quickly, the action scenes were well-choreographed, the visuals were great, and Russell Crowe makes quite an authentic jaded-but-caring exorcist. Perhaps the best character development I've seen for an exorcist character. Are you going to come out of the film with nightmares? probably not, but it's an easy popcorn flick. A beginner horror for the younger generation perhaps.

The Pope's Exorcist is in cinemas from April 6, 2023