The Pope’s Exorcist (2023)
74%RT Audience Score: 83%
Awards & Nominations: NA
The Pope’s Exorcist may not be a groundbreaking masterpiece, but it certainly delivers on its promise of a thrilling and entertaining horror flick. With Russell Crowe’s outstanding performance as the Vatican’s exorcist-in-chief and a self-aware tone that doesn’t take itself too seriously, the movie manages to rise above its cliches and offer a refreshing take on the subgenre. While it may not be for everyone, fans of horror and Crowe alike will find themselves thoroughly entertained by this devilishly fun ride.
The Pope’s Exorcist may not be the most groundbreaking horror movie out there, but it’s definitely worth a watch if you’re a fan of Russell Crowe or just enjoy a good old-fashioned exorcism flick. Sure, it’s a bit cheesy and predictable at times, but that’s part of the charm. Plus, who doesn’t love a good demon possession story? So grab some popcorn, turn off the lights, and get ready to be mildly spooked.
Production Company(ies)
2.0 Entertainment, Loyola Productions, Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Supernatural
Distributor
Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
Dublin, Ireland
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
2023
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 43m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 14, 2023 Wide
Genre(s)
Horror/Mystery & thriller
Keyword(s)
starring Russell Crowe, directed by Julius Avery, written by Michael Petroni, Evan Spiliotopoulos, R Dean McCreary, Chester Hastings, horror, mystery, thriller, box office, budget, reviewed by Chris Vognar, Oliver Jones, Stephen Romei, Luke Y Thompson, Matt Zoller Seitz, Bilge Ebiri, Crockett Houghton, Cody Leach, Steven Warner, Mel Valentin, James Croot, Austen Goslin, produced by Doug Belgrad, Michael Patrick Kaczmarek, Jeff Katz, MPAA rating R, possession, exorcism, Vatican, Father Gabriele Amorth, conspiracy, young boy, Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe, Franco Nero as The Pope, Laurel Marsden, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney
Worldwide gross: $70,229,138
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: $19,635,510
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $5,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $5,000,000
Production budget ranking: 1,858
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $2,692,500
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Daniel Zovatto – Unknown
Alex Essoe – Unknown
Franco Nero – The Pope
Laurel Marsden – Unknown
Peter DeSouza-Feighoney – Unknown
Director – Julius Avery
Producers – Doug Belgrad, Michael Patrick Kaczmarek, Jeff Katz
Writers – Michael Petroni, Evan Spiliotopoulos, R. Dean McCreary, Chester Hastings
Director(s)
Julius Avery
Writer(s)
Michael Petroni, Evan Spiliotopoulos, R. Dean McCreary, Chester Hastings
Producer(s)
Doug Belgrad, Michael Patrick Kaczmarek, Jeff Katz
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (77) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (39)
The Pope’s Exorcist will certainly never go down as a classic of the genre, but it’s better than it has any reason to be. Sometimes, the devil you know gets the job done just fine.
April 17, 2023
Chris Vognar
Rolling Stone
TOP CRITIC
An absurdly plotted, blood-drenched haunted house movie…with all the vitality and vivaciousness of a 15th-century corpse.
April 17, 2023 | Rating: 1/4
Oliver Jones
Observer
TOP CRITIC
It is a powerful historical drama and Crowe is outstanding as a real life Vatican exorcist-in-chief.
April 15, 2023 | Rating: 3.5/5
Stephen Romei
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
A tighter edit focused purely on the crazy bits could be a big cult hit; as is, it might be timed just right for a 4/20 viewing with plenty of smoke breaks.
April 14, 2023
Luke Y. Thompson
AV Club
TOP CRITIC
A watchable but far-from-special rehash of exorcism movie cliches.
April 14, 2023 | Rating: 2/4
Matt Zoller Seitz
RogerEbert.com
TOP CRITIC
The Pope’s Exorcist may not be a comedy, but it does sometimes feel like a joke. On us.
April 14, 2023
Bilge Ebiri
New York Magazine/Vulture
TOP CRITIC
If you’re a fan of horror or Russell Crowe, or better still a fan of both, this movie is a must-see.
April 22, 2023
Crockett Houghton
Film Inquiry
The self-aware tone and Crowe’s performance helps a fairly formulaic exorcism movie to stand out a bit. It still suffers greatly from the cliche’s and redundancy that has plagued this subgenera for decades.
April 22, 2023 | Rating: 2.5/5
Cody Leach
Cody Leach (YouTube)
But lest you think the movie sounds more serious or profound than it actually is, Avery is not the least bit interested in anything resembling depth or authenticity, and thank God for that.
April 21, 2023
Steven Warner
In Review Online
… the overall result manages to rise above its campy, pulp-horror plotting and well-worn, overused ideas.
April 21, 2023
Mel Valentin
That Shelf
The central mother-daughter tension is well sold by its compelling duo and it offers perhaps a more realistic view of the situation than your typical, simplistic, Hollywood resolution.
April 19, 2023
James Croot
Stuff.co.nz
The Pope’s Exorcist doesn’t match the bone-deep terror or filmmaking heights of the original Exorcist, but sets itself apart by building the whole movie on an understanding that its whole premise is a little silly.
April 19, 2023
Austen Goslin
Polygon…
Plot
The Pope’s Exorcist follows Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican, as he investigates a young boy’s possession and uncovers a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has tried to keep hidden.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels mentions that Russell Crowe delivers a “sanctified performance” in The Pope’s Exorcist.
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