Synopsis: 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.

Editing: Matt Evans
Music: Robert Ames

Cast: Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Laurel Marsden, Cornell John, Ryan O’Grady, Alex Essoe, Franco Nero

Director: Julius Avery
Writers: Michael Petroni, Evan Spiliotopoulos, R. Dean McCreary, Chester Hastings, Jeff Katz, Gabriele Amorth
Cinematography: Khalid Mohtaseb

In Rome, in the early 1980s, Father Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe) finds himself in the firing line of new thinking within the Catholic Church — namely, the belief that the Devil doesn’t exist. The Pope disagrees and sends Amorth on an assignment. When something doesn’t feel right, the Pope takes it upon himself to dig into the research as well.

Gabriele heads to Spain, where he meets Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto). Gabriele takes a look around the Abbey and is rather casual about it all; Esquibel, however, has already witnessed what’s happened and is full of fear. With a shot from his hip flask, Gabriele meets the family living in the Abbey. It’s the young boy, Henry (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney), who most concerns him.

Henry lies frail as he sleeps on his bed, only to be awoken by Gabriele. With a simple test, Gabriele realises he’s dealing with a very strong demon. By this point, the Pope also knows this after finding a letter hidden in a book regarding exorcisms from previous centuries. The letter claims the Abbey has been lost to the Devil.

In an attempt to discover more about the Abbey and find the Devil’s name, the priests find a hidden chamber below the Abbey where the Devil was once contained. Their search pays off when they uncover the name and try to use it to coax the Devil out of Henry.

This only angers the demon further, and it possesses Henry’s sister, Amy (Laurel Marsden). The priests are running out of time and must forgive themselves, find their strength, and save this family.

If you enjoy James Wan’s The Conjuring films — especially the spin-off The Nun — you’ll likely enjoy this. It has a similar feel and look: the odd jump scare here and there, otherwise dark scenes filled with religious talk and personal forgiveness. Beyond that, the film doesn’t offer much more.

Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, Les Misérables) is clearly the draw. Although his accent sometimes drifts toward his Zeus turn in Thor: Love and Thunder, his character is fun and suitably dramatic when required. Father Gabriele Amorth is based on the real Exorcist to the Pope, with a number of written accounts of his encounters, giving Crowe a solid base he seems comfortable with.

The remaining cast are relative newcomers to the big screen, but Peter DeSouza-Feighoney (Henry) manages a terrifying turn as the demon’s vessel — a frail child with a lot of love who says little, then suddenly unleashes a potty-mouthed, thrashing terror. It’s the stuff of nightmares.

While the cast mostly lack extensive big-screen credits, the writing doesn’t let them reach their full potential. It veers toward daytime-soap dialogue, rarely giving characters authentic voices or the actors room to dig deeper.

Visually, the film is surprisingly detailed. The Abbey is shown in two lights: during renovation it’s bathed in brightness, high ceilings, and stunning countryside surrounds; elsewhere it’s a dark, rundown exterior — overgrown gardens, dead foliage, and spare, empty rooms. And that’s before you reach the basement.

The special effects, however, are often over the top — the basement showdown, the Virgin Mary rising, and rocks glowing with orange fire feel excessive and a bit video-gamey.

Ultimately, this is a film that doesn’t reach its full potential — perhaps it never had a chance, given how definitively The Exorcist told this tale. Still, the third act delivers some decent suspense.

[The author attended an advance screening of The Pope’s Exorcist thanks to Sony Pictures Australia.]