Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

The Pope's Exorcist Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 12, 2023

To use Biblical demon possession terminology (found in this film, too), demon possession and exorcism movies are "legion," meaning "many." The latest is The Pope's Exorcist, starring a graying and heavyset Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth, a real-life Catholic exorcist. The film chronicles his confrontation with a demon possessing a young boy within the walls of a run-down monastery. The film largely follows procedure but does so without the more modern kinetic stylings, choosing to finds its scares not so much in grotesque distortions, showing the demon bending limbs against the laws of nature and scaling walls like a spider. Rather, this is more of a psychological Horror film with spiritual overtones that sees the demon engaged in a battle of wits with the exorcists, spilling the beans on their past sins and fighting the battle in the spiritual realm more so than the physical realm. Certainly, various tropes and plot contrivances appear, but this film's more grounded focus stabilizes the experience and offers something of a throwback to the genre's best, like The Exorcist.

Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican (Academy Award®-winner Russell Crowe), 'The Pope's Exorcist' follows Amorth as he investigates a young boy's terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden.

The Pope's Exorcist refuses to make unintentional comedy of its material or rely on jump scares for its content. This is more of a thinking man's exorcism film that focuses on the internal battles rather than any external manifestations. The film certainly blends in some visual effects and shows the demon possessed leaping out, scratching up, and otherwise writhing about, but these are plot supports rather than crutches and story details rather than happenings meant to hide otherwise vapid and stale plot lines. While the film is familiar in its broadest sense, it's fresh in its specifics, in how the interactions go down, how the dialogue propels the story, and how various sinful revelations challenge the confrontations and threaten to tear Amoroth, his cohort Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto), and the boy's family, apart before the exorcism can take place.

Russell Crowe's performance is certainly the main draw here, even beyond the leaner and more focused story content. Crowe brings life to Father Gabriele Amorth with both the necessary depth and the needed panache that give the character a unique spin whereby he is at once both serious in his work and a bit wayward in terms of his style from the familiar "Catholic priest" routine. Crowe's depiction of the character begins with a self-description: he is a “theologian, journalist, lawyer, and a practical man.” All of these, in some form or fashion, shape his encounters with, and battles against, the demon. This is a complex character who is at once both a serious man of God and a serious man of personality who combines the two to great value, at least in terms of entertainment value and, really, effectiveness in dealing with the demon.

The Pope's Exorcist Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sony releases The Pope's Exorcist to Blu-ray with a rock-solid 1080p transfer. The picture was digitally shot and offers a clean, healthy image on Blu-ray. There are some softer and almost smeary edges, at times, qualities inherent to the original photography rather than a fault of the Blu-ray transfer process. All in all, things are very good. the picture is clean and efficient. It's razor-sharp, holding clarity and stability even in dark interiors, which are numerous throughout the film. Essential details like skin and clothes are handled very nicely for sharpness and tangible definition, while support layers around the locations hold crisp and effective beyond those occasionally softer edges. Colors are very good, too, again often limited by the dark structure but the tones breathe in good light with excellent saturation and vividness. Black level stability and accuracy are vital to the presentation and do not disappoint at any time. White balance is good, too, and skin tones look exceptional. This is a very high-quality Blu-ray release from Sony.

The Pope's Exorcist Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Pope's Exorcist releases on Blu-ray in the tried-and-true DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless audio configuration. The "lack" of channels compared to 7.1 and Atmos tracks is not a hindrance. On the contrary, this is 5.1 stretched to all reasonable engagement. The track features discrete effects aplenty, including as Father Amorth enters the house in the opening minutes. Throughout the film a very expansive sound stage is in evidence. Construction work in early minutes saturates the stage, blaring music often envelopes the totality of the listening area, intense soaking rainfall and booming thunder cover the full area at the 52-miute mark, and so on and so forth. The "action" scenes between Amorth and the demon offer, again, exquisite use of the full stage area to excellent effects while holding absolute clarity and deep yet balanced subwoofer extension. Listeners will also find pleasing din in a few exterior shots as well, building a realistic atmosphere for listening engagement. Dialogue is clear, well prioritized, and centered from start to finish. This one is excellent.

The Pope's Exorcist Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of The Pope's Exorcist contains a couple of featurettes. No DVD copy is included, but Sony has bundled in a Movies Anywhere digital copy voucher. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

• Introducing Father Amorth (1080p, 6:28): Discussing the real man on which the film is based. It also looks at Crowe's performance based on the real exorcist on which the film is based, including the character's idiosyncrasies.
• What Possessed You? (1080p, 4:51): Director Julius Avery, Actor Russell Crowe, and Producer Jeff Katz discuss demons, the importance of finding a new angle on old cinema tropes, the picture's horror elements, and more.
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

The Pope's Exorcist Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Pope's Exorcist doesn't stand out in terms of content, but it is a refreshing spin on a genre that has grown tired over the years. The lead character is interesting and that the story is more grounded -- literally as the case may be -- makes for a surprisingly watchable film that straddles the line between serious and wink-and-nod silly. Crowe is solid in the lead, the production design and effects work are excellent, the sound engineering is top-notch, and the entire experience exceeds expectations. Sony's Blu-ray is sadly thin in terms of supplemental content, but the video and audio presentations are A-grade. Recommended.