I found myself enjoying The Pope’s Exorcist more than I expected to. Seeing the previews, I dismissed it as another possession movie—a type of film I've encountered countless times. While that assessment isn’t entirely wrong, there was something about this one that made watching it a genuinely pleasant experience. The filmmakers don’t try to reinvent the genre or do anything particularly innovative, but what they present is handled with skill and attention to detail. The direction is excellent, maintaining a brisk tempo that creates a sense of urgency as the characters work through the exorcism. There's an interesting level of background information about the church itself, revealing different groups and political maneuvering beyond just inserting a random priest into the story. The performances stood out as my favorite part of the film. I believe all of the adult actors did very well. Russell Crowe is outstanding in every scene he’s in, bringing a unique interpretation to the exorcist character. Unlike many portrayals that are intensely serious and overly dramatic, Crowe injects a touch of playfulness and youthfulness into the role, which creates a reassuring presence during intense moments. His chemistry with Daniel Zovatto is fantastic; they have a great connection and really helped carry the movie. Alex Essoe was also good, though I felt she wasn’t used enough. The two child actors were alright—the boy delivered a fairly predictable depiction of a possessed child, while the girl seemed somewhat lifeless at times. My main criticism concerns the story's lack of originality; every plot point feels familiar and we’ve seen it all before. There weren’t any new or surprising ideas introduced. The suspense was adequate but nothing felt particularly frightening. Ultimately, if not for the film’s strong direction and cast, it would have been a complete failure. Score: 63% 👍 Verdict: Decent

Source on TMDB