The Pope's Exorcist

Just another exorcism movie. Or another generic genre addition that unfortunately spits out all its plot and reveals all the demon scenes in the trailer and has nothing to dazzle with. Russell Crowe is a nice change from the jaded Mr. and Mrs. Warren, and his role as a satirical rebel priest is solid, but otherwise it's just a classic template that doesn't stand out in any aspect. Visually fine, atmospherically average and kind of middle of the road in terms of craftsmanship. I expected more. (2023-04-23)

The Pope’s Exorcist starts out entertainingly with the character of an unconventional, rebellious priest interestingly portrayed by the great Russell Crow. And then it is all the more unentertaining due to its impetuous piling up of genre clichés in the final third, which is more ridiculous than scary or in any way impressive. The film’s best scene, with which the still watchable and still developing part of the storyline culminates, is somewhere around the midpoint. A mainstream movie powered by a stellar cast, but in the context of the genre, it’s a total fiasco in comparison with some cinematic delights that don’t even make it into local theaters (X, Pearl). (2023-04-15)

A classic exorcism story cut from Dan Brown and a Lambretta scooter advertisement. The added layer might have been the thesis about a Vatican conspiracy (oops, not us, it's him!), but in the end, everything fizzled out in a generic conclusion, after which Father Amorth need not worry about nightmares (those will come only in 1998 after the World Cup). Holding it together over the holy water is Maximus Scooterus, whose quirky priest I could easily imagine in a pair with James Woods from Scary Movie. If Hopkins and Pryce can be Two Popes, then Two Exorcists should get a chance too. (2023-05-26)

I have a soft spot for supernatural themes, so I'm giving this one an extra star. Without Russell Crowe, it might feel like a B-movie, but he elevates it. Julius Avery did a fantastic job technically, and I'm glad someone other than James Wan tackled an exorcism horror. It shows that this genre can be approached differently. While James Wan's exorcism films have become a bit stale and recycled, this one worked pretty well for me. It's not the scariest, but with Russell in the lead and based on a true story, it adds a solid legend to the mix. Overall, I'm satisfied. (2023-10-23)

Russell Crowe, in his current chubby state, is already taking every stupid thing he can get his hands on. And yet, I liked the first half enough, as long as Russell is brimming with charisma and wit, and there's no shortage of some fine visual ideas. But as the minutes tick by, it gets sillier and more generic, and the final duel between the two priests, with bodies flying through the air, flames whipping and bloody women climbing out of iron maidens, looks like some kind of Mel Brooks parody. There's an art to fucking it up like that. Thanks for Franco Nero, I haven't seen him in anything in a long time. (2023-10-24)