Confronting Demonic Possession: The Pope’s Exorcist Review on Blu-ray from Sony Pictures!
The Pope’s Exorcist is film that delves into the world of exorcism and spiritual warfare. Inspired by the real-life experiences of Father Gabriele Amorth, one of the Catholic Church’s most renowned exorcists, the movie offers a glimpse into the battles fought against malevolent forces by those entrusted with driving out demonic entities from the possessed.
The film begins with whisky sipping Father Amorth (Russell Crowe, Romper Stomper, A Beautiful Mind) visiting an Italian village to confront a man seemingly possessed by a demon. Once there, Amorth challenges the malevolent entity, leading to a series of events that puts him at odds with the Church tribunal.
The story then takes a turn as Amorth is assigned by Pope Franco Nero (Hitch-Hike, Keoma, Django), to confront a diabolically possessed boy named Henry (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, The Girl with the Metal Heart) in Spain. Joined by rookie Father Tomas Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto, It Follows), Amorth faces a relentless battle against the demon Asmodeus, which unearths a series of exorcism attempts.
Franco Nero’s portrayal of the Pope was a welcomed surprise and adds an air of gravity to the character, shedding light on the complex dynamics within the Church when it comes to matters of demonic possession and exorcism.
The film’s strength lies in its exploration of faith, personal struggles, and the fight against evil. The characters of Amorth and Esquibel undergo emotional journeys, confessing and absolving themselves of their past sins before taking on the demonic forces that plague them. Their dynamic is almost that of one you would see in a buddy cop movie. The Pope’s Exorcist skilfully interweaves psychological drama with the horrors of possession, culminating in a climactic exorcism that offers both haunting visuals, lacklustre and senseless CGI effects (such as father Amorth’s face stretching in an impossible way), but also a glimmer of hope.
While The Pope’s Exorcist provides a compelling enough narrative, but occasionally stumbles with the use of the fake looking CGI effects. This isn’t surprising however as director Julius Avery (Overlord), is not a horror fan. He should have taken notes from the exorcism playbook with William Friedkin’s The Exorcist, which depicts terrifying visuals via practical make-up effects. Just because CGI exists, doesn’t mean it should be solely utilized in a horror film. That said however, the film does have several cool effects sequences, including a possessed child regurgitating a red cardinal, and continuing the upset stomach theme, Franco Nero even vomits a projectile of crimson blood. It also contains some cool practical make-up appliances, and stunning set-pieces.
Russell Crowe is expertly cast as Lambretta-scooter-driving Father Amorth. Whilst the role is taken seriously, he adds an air of comic relief at times which is not out of place and works well with the film. Apparently real-life exorcist Father Amorth always had a sense of humour during his career and in fact claimed demons did not appreciate such funniness.
Overall, The Pope’s Exorcist is a necessary watch for demonic possession aficionados and those fascinated by the intersection of Catholic faith and the unexplained. Not to mention to be able to take a real-life Vatican Exorcist and use him in this work of fiction makes for a refreshing entry into the possession sub-genre.
As the credits roll, we are reminded of the real Father Gabriele Amorth’s legacy, not only as an exorcist but also as an author who shared his wisdom with the world – a fitting tribute to a man who dedicated his life to combating the forces of evil and helping others with mental illness.
The Pope’s Exorcist get the Blu-ray treatment via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in a 2.39:1 16:9 aspect ratio that is 1080p HD MPEG-4 AVC on a 50GB Blu-ray disc. The film’s video presentation is visibly flawless with rich blacks. The audio options also have a first-rate presentation. When it comes to the supplemental material, it is unfortunately lacking. There is a short 7-minute featurette ‘Introducing Father Amorth’ where the cast and crew talk about the real man complete with footage of Amorth, which left this viewer wanting more. ‘What Possessed You?’ (5-minutes) briefly shows some of the cast and crew on their research and their attempt at making an original exorcism film. Rounding out the extras is a digital code for the film.
AKA: El exorcista del Papa, Papin Egzorcista, O Exorcista do Papa, Екзорсистът на папата, L’exorciste du pape, Papin Egzorcista, L’exorciste du Vatican, Ο Εξορκιστής του Βατικανού, 教廷第一驅魔人, A pápa ördögűzője,द पोप्स एक्सोरसिस्ट, Megaresh Ha’Sheddim Be’Sherout Ha’Appifyor, L’esorcista del papa,ヴァチカンのエクソシスト, Экзорцист Ватикана, Popiežiaus egzorcistas, Egzorcysta papieża, O Exorcista do Vaticano,梵蒂岡驅魔士, Şeytanın Düşmanı, Khắc Tinh Của Quỷ
Directed by: Julius Avery
Written by: Michael Petroni, Evan Spiliotopoulos, R. Dean McCreary, Chester Hastings, Jeff Katz
Produced by: Doug Belgrad, Jeff Katz
Cinematography by: Khalid Mohtaseb
Editing by: Matt Evans
Music by: Jed Kurzel
Special Effects by: Alt.vfx, Cutting Edge, Kojo, SlateVFX, Universal Production Partners (UPP)
Cast: Russell Crowe, Franco Nero, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Laurel Marsden
Year: 2023
Country: USA, UK, Spain
Language: English, Italian, Spanish, Latin, German (English subtitles)
Colour: Colour
Runtime: 1h 43min
Studio: Screen Gems, 2.0 Entertainment, Loyola Productions, Ad hoc studios, Intimacy on Set, Jesus & Mary
Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
BLU-RAY SPECS:
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 16:9 1080p HD MPEG-4 AVC
Region: A, C
Audio: English, French, Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 5.1 Dolby Digital
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:
– Introducing Father Amorth
– What Possessed You?
– Digital Code
