I saw The Pope's Exorcist...

Sony Pictures' The Pope's Exorcist is another horror movie allegedly based on a true story (or such related events). As some may know, there was a Vatican "chief exorcist" dispatched by The Pope for those higher-echelon, demonic dealings, Father Gabriele Amorth, who is said to have purged thousand of folks of thousands of demons (the diary details contained in Kolchak/The X-Files-tailored volumes). 

With director Jules (Overlord) Avery's impression-of movie, the legendary holy man is portrayed by a legendary actor, Russell Crowe, as is the Pope, thanks to the original Django and Camelot's Lancelot, Franco Nero. 

The story by Evan Spilotoupoulos, R. Dean McCreary and Michael Petroni ties to William Peter Blatty/William Friedkin's The Exorcist (said to be based on a true events, in its own right, and for the record, Friedkin did befriend Amorth and reputedly filmed a genuine exorcism for a 2018 documentary). I also detected a decent dab of Mikael Hafstrom's The Rite in this parable, plus any number of other demon-possession pictures (some official Exorcist sequels/prequels), which have crawled from the puke-spewing pike since the 1970s. 

For this particular tale, set in 1987, Amorth faces a possessed lad named Henry, played by Peter DeSouza Feighhoney, at a befouled, Spanish abbey that's under reconstruction. Henry's father, who died in a car crash, bequeathed the structure to the boy and his mom, Julie, played by horror veteran, Alex Essoe, and sister, Sarah, played by Laurel (Ms. Marvel) Marsden.

Mom and Sis are concerned for the boy, who's remained mute since his father's demise and only becomes articulate after the monstrous Asmodeus possesses him. What then unfolds is as expected, with Henry hollering, hissing and spouting profanity (supplied with great relish by Ralph Ineson). The devoted but inexperienced Daniel (Beneath) Zovatto's Father Esquibel dares to tackle the frightful turn, but flounders until The Pope sends Amorth to assist. (Amorth and Esquibel/Crowe and Zovatto blend well, creating a semi-buddy movie within the story's theological annals.) 

As with any demon-possession flick worth its salt, The Pope's Exorcist dares to delve into avenues of the good, the bad and the ugly notion of why God would allow evil to persist, let alone why the Vatican would conceal cases and practices in its fight against such. Avery's direction (enforced by Jed Kurzel's spinetingling score and Khalid Mohteseb's plaintive photography) places such queries within an interesting yet relaxed stream, but when matters must get devilish, he allows the repulsion to hit high and mighty. 

Again, the story here is fictional, and there's no shame in that (regardless of the "based on" claim). Keep in mind, fabrications still work for preaching/teaching purposes. The Pope's Exorcist is no exception and even installs some wry humor and '80s tunes, along with a Dan Brown-ish, mummy-filled underbelly that tracks straight back to The Spanish Inquisition.

The cast gives the conspiracy-laden links credibility, in particular Feighhoney, who creates a mesmerizing, little bastard, who resembles an unhinged Mick Jagger; but Crowe is given as much to chew on, since Amorth is depicted as a tough but sensitive man who questions how and why he survived WWII, while blaming himself for a suicide that may have been prevented if not for his pride. And such sorrowful strands make Amorth susceptible to possession in his own fragile right. When Asmodeous gains the chance and rises through the expressive Crowe (who taps his brawling Hyde from The Mummy '17), oh my, Father Damien step aside! 

Amorth swings hard as hell, though, to defeat his invader, and I foresee more cinematic investigations for him, if not on the big screen (with Crowe carrying on), then on the small screen with another actor (assuming Crowe wouldn't do tv). There's so much more of Amorth's legacy to tell, whether "fact" or tall-tale based. Wyatt Earp, Bass Reeves, Billy the Kid, David Toma, Frank Serpico, Buford Pusser and Eliot Ness have all traveled fictional re-routes. Why not this esteemed man of the cloth?