The Pope's Exorcist (released 4/14/23)

I guess the key to defeating demons are prayer and humor. This movie was actually kind of surprising as to how fun it was. Russell Crowe carries the film with not just his humor but the ability to be the perfect amount of seriousness when the need calls for it. The other priest's naiveness helped make him the ideal counterbalance. The family however felt like plot devices more than fleshed-out characters. They seemed very one-note and mostly uninteresting. The daughter's punk attitude was fun at times though. It is a very run-of-the-mill exorcist film but tries to add its own lore and even points out mental health vs possession in victims. They even left the door open for the film to be a series with an almost Men in Black feel, just with priests and demons rather than agents and aliens. If they go that route, hopefully, there are quirky special powers for each demon to keep it fresh. The pacing was ok. The family is so bland you just want to follow Crowe's character. Some of the effects had mid-2000s level quality which could have been a budget thing. There was one eye effect that looked really dope though. If you want an exorcist movie with an infectiously entertaining lead, then go check this out.

Story - 16%

Characters - 15%

Pacing - 16%

Spectacle - 17%

Entertainment - 18%

Total score: 82%

Grade scale:

90%-100% = must watch

80%-89% = solid, but could be better

70%-79% = Not terrible, watch if the characters or story interests you

60%-69% = only watch for completionist reasons

0%-59% = just skip it, I find the positives and they don't exist here