Exorcism movies, for the most part, are cut from the same cloth. Someone, typically a child, gets possessed. A religious figure comes in to say the day. Lots of shout-praying happens. The formula—and it is most certainly a formula—relies heavily on the execution, which is why The Exorcist still delivers the pea soup and many other similar movies are lost to the sands of time.

The Pope’s Exorcist, for whatever reason, appeared like it was doomed to fall into the latter camp. The “what demonic blackmail do they have to get Russell Crowe to star in this thing?” thriller begins like all the rest, but as its story progresses you realize the damn thing isn’t quite content being a forgettable exorcism carbon copy. Thanks to some surprisingly solid body horror and a climax that thankfully does not end with a circle of people praying around a bed, The Pope’s Exorcist lands more than a few satanic punches.

There’s nothing groundbreaking here, but the filmmakers’ willingness to take a few risks. Further, the casting of Russell Crowe pays dividends; he didn’t phone in it in and the audience is rewarded accordingly.

Review by Erik Samdahl.