The Pope's Exorcist - 'shivers'

I did tell you guys that it does take some time before I actually see a movie even when It has been released before then. I am not that much of a movie freak, but I always enjoy a good work of cinema. I was actually going to talk about Avatar - the Way of the Water but I opted to write about this as it is still very much fresh off my head and I still rewatch it every now and then. I am not a fan of horror movies but when I see a good horror, I do not hesitate; plus, I have a little sentiment for this one as it has its sources from catholicism.

The movie follows loosely the story of a real-life exorcist named Father Gabriele Amorth; A catholic priest and the official exorcist of the Vatican. In one of his escapades, he got dropped into an exorcism at an Abbey in Spain by the Vatican, but It was more than he had anticipated. The story tells of the priest's fight with the evil of the highest order, how he vanquished it, and what price he paid.

I decided to start this one with the good part of the movie as it has a lot more of it than otherwise. Good acting is always a plus. Father Amorth, played by Russell Crowe was a brilliant character. Russell's wit and disposition made him so cool and enjoyable to watch. He was at the top of his game with this one. He added some originality and improvisation that makes one relish every single moment. Like the time when he told the demon that his worst nightmare was France winning the world cup. The storyline is from a true story, which makes it feel authentic. It had the right amount of action to make you want to re-watch it repeatedly. Packed with so many lessons; a lot of things about this movie were spot on.

There isn't much to make it bad. The movie should be horror but it was more sneaky than horror for me. No gore or jumpscare or any of that sort. It also had a little cliche "exorcist-to-demon" storyline. Albeit there was an incredible depth in the plot, it did feel like an unnecessary drag at some point. Like the time when the Spanish Priest felt powerless against the demon. Maybe that's a bit harsh, but it doesn't take away the quality of the movie.

STREAM. There are a hundred and one reasons to stream this movie. It's not available on Netflix though, but on Prime Video. From the complete acting of Russell to a proper depiction of brilliance and richness in the plot to the well-done cinematography and choice of setting; everything was spot-on. The ending did leave a hint for continuation with the priest teaming up with the other for new adventures. An overall great watch that comes with a full recommendation. I would also give it a 4.9 rating out of 5. The movie gave me hope in the horror genre. Hopes not lost.