"The Pope's Exorcist" (2023). Movie Review

The Pope’s Exorcist is the latest horror film from director Julius Avery, starring Russell Crowe. With Alex Essoe, Franco Nero and Laurel Marsden. Based on the two memoirs written by Father Gabriele Amorth: An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories.

An extravagant horror movie that goes absolutely nowhere, but turns out entertaining and amusing, in part thanks to Russell Crowe who somehow saves the day.

We are not going to get into controversies about the supposed “realism” of the proposal.

Within the genre, decent.

El Exorcista del Papa (2023) — The Pope’s Exorcist

Movie review

The best: Russell Crowe and his Italian accent speaking English. It is even “funny” that someone has taken this “seriously” which, apparently, has gone unnoticed.

The movie begins with a warning “be careful, he’s speaking in English”, so we must come to the logical conclusion: he’s possessed. Then there’s the good performance of the protagonist and a lot of (terrifying) resources and, of course, that “Hollywoodesque” production that makes any slightly passable script sort of entertaining.

It takes itself with a sarcastic, almost epic dramatism. The grandiloquence of some sequences and the careful chiaroscuro, as if Caravaggio oversaw the photography, are to be appreciated… But no, we haven’t time traveled to the Baroque Era. We are reminded of this by a series of common places in the genre that follows one after another, maximized with overdone camera movements, special effects all over the place and fast editing.

Fun, perfect for those looking for an easy-made-in-Hollywood horror movie, well produced and yes, as ordinary as it is professional.

If you are looking for something new or you just want to exorcise your post-covid demons… this is not for you. But, if you are looking forward to having some fun with (almost) all the paraphernalia already seen a thousand times in this kind of film, then this is your choice.

Nothing more.

And nothing less.

Release Date

April 14, 2023

Where To Watch The Pope’s Exorcist

In theaters

Movie Trailer

The Star: Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe is a New Zealand-born actor and film producer who has become one of the most recognizable and respected figures in Hollywood. Here are some interesting facts about him:

Crowe was born in Wellington, New Zealand, on April 7, 1964, but grew up in Australia.
He began his acting career in Australia in the 1980s and gained international recognition for his role in the film “Romper Stomper” in 1992.
Crowe has appeared in numerous hit films, including “Gladiator,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “L.A. Confidential,” and “The Insider”.
He has been nominated for numerous awards for his work, including three Academy Awards, winning the Best Actor award for his role in “Gladiator” in 2001.
In addition to his acting career, Crowe is also a talented musician and has released several albums, including “The Crowe/Doyle Songbook Vol III” with Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea.
Crowe is also an avid sports fan and owns a stake in the South Sydney Rabbitohs, a professional rugby league team in Australia.
He has been involved in several philanthropic endeavors, including donating money to a variety of charitable causes and supporting the Australian film industry