The connection between man and otherworldly forces has always interested cultural figures. Considerations about God and the Devil occupy almost a leading place in pop culture — and this despite the fact that there is almost nothing particularly new to say in this regard in the cinema. “The Exorcist of the Vatican” again turns to the familiar theme of exorcism, but tries to dilute the horror elements with behind-the-scenes intrigues of the Vatican. We tell in the review below how this film turned out.

“The Pope’s Exorcist” / The Pope’s Exorcist

Genre horror
Director Julius Avery
In roles Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essow, Ralph Aineson, Franco Nero
Premiere cinema
Release year 2023
Site IMDb

The plot of the film tells about the Vatican priest Gabriel Amorth (Russell Crowe). He is the main exorcist of the Vatican and specializes in expelling evil forces from people. Over the years of his activity, Gabriel managed to see the devil in people in amazing manifestations. But one of the situations forever left a mark in his memory – it is to her that the film is dedicated.

The authors position “The Exorcist of the Vatican” as a film based on real events. It is based on the books and memoirs of the real-life priest Gabriel Amorth. He claimed to have helped thousands of people get rid of the devil, and he knew everything about exorcism. Of course, the authenticity of his words has not been confirmed, but Amort gained his popularity.

Against this background, it would be possible to shoot an interesting psychological thriller, in which the expulsion of the devil would border on deception and, more importantly, self-deception. Immerse yourself deeper into the behind-the-scenes of the Vatican, which itself represents a separate world. But by no means should we slip into the standard paths of films for the devil, which even at the time of “Rosemary’s Baby” seemed exhausted.

Director Julius Avery chose the simplest answers to far from the most difficult questions. Therefore, “The Exorcist of the Vatican” is an extremely primitive horror, in which everything develops along long-established rails. He is just the devil here, not some fiction of people.

A little tired of writing about almost every modern horror that it is not scary. But regarding the elements of fear, “The Exorcist of the Vatican” is so primitive that I don’t want to use any new definitions for its sake at all. The screamers here are built in absolutely no way, and the film as a horror cannot offer anything else.

But then why should you watch it? At least because of Russell Crowe’s excellent acting. The local priest, who himself is horrified by otherworldly things happening around him, is always a pleasure to watch. In addition, the priest Amort can make a good joke and show sincere warmth to strangers.

In “The Exorcist of the Vatican” the culture of the Vatican itself is shown quite well. The film does not go into any revelations at all, but everything looks as textured and authentic as possible. The interaction between clergy and ordinary people here emphasizes the difference of opinion and the individuality of divine influence depending on beliefs and characters.

And at the moment when the film is not trying to scare you, it really captivates you. Yes, it is not the most interesting in the world of cinema, but it allows you to touch the closed world of the Vatican, full of its own rules. At one time, the audience was given similar feelings by “The Da Vinci Code”, which was also remembered by the public as a controversial work.

But if Dan Brown’s film adaptation was spoiled by a simple structure that distracts from the search for answers to the riddles of human history, then in “The Exorcist of the Vatican” all the magic is destroyed with the appearance of another demonic entity. Attempts to scare in the film are very tiresome, but it could still be tolerated if they complement the main ideas. Instead, each screamer resembles a loud, chaotic exclamation that interrupts the generally interesting narrative.

“The Exorcist of the Vatican” shows well one of the main problems of the modern film industry. Many directors and companies don’t seem to understand why people love horror movies. After all, we are not talking about terrible sounds or incomprehensible creatures on the screen.

Every great horror film was, is, and remains about encountering the unknown. These are essentially very peculiar puzzles that have no answer — but that’s their beauty.

“The Exorcist of the Vatican” is a mystery, the answer to which you do not want to look for at all. Even more, there is essentially no mystery here. But then why try to turn the film into a horror film, and not focus exclusively on the aesthetics of the Vatican, is a big question.

Pros:
excellent acting of Russell Crowe, who embodied a somewhat simple but attractive image on the screen; the clinging atmosphere of the traditions and laws of the Vatican; in general, a competent structure of the story

Cons:
as a horror film is not scary at all; some boredom and protracted history; vagueness of all characters, except for the main character

Conclusion:

To perceive “The Exorcist of the Vatican” as a horror is to spoil your viewing experience even before the start of the film. After all, there is no fear here. Instead, there’s a great Vatican and Russell Crowe — and that’s enough for a good night at the movies