Going into a film like “The Pope’s Exorcist,” you pretty much know what to anticipate. The movie is full of Catholic symbols—rosaries, crucifixes, holy water, church ceremonies, and prayers—all employed in an attempt to combat the demonic possession of someone innocent. All the usual ingredients are here, but director Julius Avery's film surprisingly provides a fresh (though somewhat familiar) perspective on religious horror movies. The movie is elevated by a well-crafted narrative and Russell Crowe’s compelling portrayal as Father Gabriele Amorth (Crowe), who served as Chief Exorcist of the Vatican and was one of the most debated figures in modern Church history. The script draws from the real files kept by Father Amorth during his time performing exorcisms for the Catholic Church, which is enough to make you uneasy. The story centers on Father Amorth’s journey to Spain to look into a young boy's (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney) possession by a powerful demon. With assistance from local priest Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto), Father Amorth tries to help the child before it’s too late. During this process, he uncovers a centuries-old plot that the Vatican has worked hard to conceal. It's a genuinely good story, and feels more believable than other religious horror films dealing with supernatural possessions. You know the kind I mean. There are effective scares, graphic violence, and unsettling imagery, all executed well. It’s occasionally silly but presented with sincerity, which prevents the film from becoming unintentionally humorous. This isn't a case of something being so bad it's entertaining; it's simply good. Even though it might appear that there isn’t much to distinguish this movie from other exorcism stories (particularly when scenes involve priests chanting prayers while holding crosses toward a child who, possessed by a demon, is screaming profanities in a guttural voice), the depth of the storytelling makes a significant difference. Everything works together seamlessly here—the writing, the direction, and performances that are better than expected. “The Pope’s Exorcist” is the kind of movie you'd expect to be easily forgotten, but it isn’t. I genuinely enjoyed it because it exceeds what it sets out to do, and it’s much better than you might think. Near the film’s conclusion, I honestly started thinking that Crowe and Zovatto should star together in future installments as tough-guy priest partners, and then—without warning—the movie set itself up for a sequel: an astounding 199 of them, to be exact. As crazy as that sounds, I would — if you’ll pardon the expression—absolutely watch those.

Source on TMDB