Thursday, 13 April 2023

The Pope's Exorcist - The scoop and digest

2017 documentary The Devil & Father Amorth had William Friedkin take a camera to Rome and witness Father Amorth supposedly perform his ninth exorcism on a woman called Christina.

Real or staged? I'm going with the latter.

Inspired by Amorth's memoirs An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories, Julius Avery directs genre's latest entry.

Russell Crowe - Father Gabriele Amorth
Daniel Zovatto - Father Thomas Esquibel
Alex Essoe - Julia
Franco Nero - The Pope
Peter DeSouza-Feighoney - Henry
Laurel Marsden - Amy
Ralph Ineson - Asmodeus

Summary

1 July, 1987
Castilla - Spain

After the kid Henry is possessed by a powerful demon, the Vatican's chief exorcist Father Amorth teams up with Father Esquibel.

While investigating its identity, dynamic duo discover a 200 year-old conspiracy theory the Vatican covered up.   

God is not here

Crowe's career appears to be moving in a different direction, and on this performance - that's a good thing.

When brought the monkey instead of the organ grinder, Asmodeus violently throws Esquibel out, screaming "WRONG FUCKING PRIEST!"

Ha ha ha.

Said demon is also the antagonist in Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin and the far more obscure Demon Hunter.

Running time boasts some decent set pieces and final 15 minutes doesn't hold back.

On several occasions, Henry exclaims: "You're all going to die."

Evil Dead and Jane Levy's Mia springs to mind.

"You're all going to die tonight."

Henry's eyes sprout another pupil, a la Ahmanet and Nick (briefly as Set) from The Mummy (2017).

To make things more bizarre, Crowe portrayed Dr. Jekyll/Eddie Hyde.

Also, demonic pupils are IDENTICAL to the Eye of Sauron.

WTF?

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