The Pope’s Exorcist (2023) review: Russell Crowe is this exorcism film’s blessing

By now, you know what you are getting with an exorcism film. Bloodshot eyes, foul mouths, disjointed limbs and a lot of crucifix waving. Indeed, it has been 50 years and William Friedkin’s The Exorcist remains the grandaddy of the genre. The one to which all are compared and few are worthy. However, this new film is based on a figure Friedkin actually made a documentary about (in 2017’s The Devil and Father Amorth), a very real priest who allegedly performed tens of thousands of exorcisms over his life.

“Based on actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, chief exorcist of the Vatican” is certainly a promotional line you cannot help but pay attention to, just like the eyebrow raising casting of Russell Crowe in that role. And the result is a film that has piqued real interest in the genre again. But is it devilish or godly?

The story sees Amorth called to the aid a young child possessed by a very familiar demonic entity, and in this high stakes case will face an evil the likes of which has not walked the earth in generations.

Certainly intriguing thanks to its basis in fact, well conceptually anyway, The Pope’s Exorcist is nothing you haven’t seen before (deep voiced, manky-looking, bone-cracking kids, unnecessary animal killing and CGI hellholes) and in an overblown final act succumbed to its worse traits. However the film’s saving grace really is Russell Crowe, who is invested up to his rolled back eyeballs as Father Amorth and is a joy every second he is on the screen as the true-life based, moped-riding, cuckoo-ing, loonily Italian accented exorcist extraordinaire. 

The investigative elements of the story and hidden dark demonic secrets are what work best here (as, oddly, do some of the laughs) in this rather atmospheric piece, with some great sets and a handful of effective moments. The film is not that scary overall (though that is a subjective statement) and is lessened by some sillier indulgences but it’s fun enough stuff to pass a rainy night’s horror cinema visit. 

Apparently a sequel has already been greenlit, after what seemed like a rather ambitious set up for one, and thank god with Russell Crowe back in the dog collar, because I personally think that a sequel could work better, now the groundwork is set and out of the way. Although next time it would be nice to lean into those sleuthing and demonic mystery uncovering elements a bit more. 

Whole thing put me in mind of The Nun. An atmospheric horror, with many familiar beats and an overdone finale but with the benefit of a great lead performance. In this case the added bonus of Crowe relishing this recent career trend of just having a blast with his work. One most enjoyable performance does not a good film make but it bloody helps.