In 1987, the Pope’s personal exorcist (Russell Crowe) is sent to a Spanish village where a boy has become possessed.

It would be an exaggeration to say that this horror movie was based on actual events, but some effort has been put into the real-life character of Father Gabriele Amorth, whose past as a resistance fighter during World War II is illustrated in flashbacks.

Crowe chews the scenery and he’s welcome to it, adapting his performance to the style of this overheated, ridiculous film.

2023-U.S.-U.K.-Spain. 103 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Julius Avery. Books: Gabriele Amorth (”An Exorcist Tells His Story”, ”An Exorcist: More Stories”). Cast: Russell Crowe (Gabriele Amorth), Daniel Zovatto (Father Esquibel), Alex Essoe (Julia Vasquez), Franco Nero, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Laurel Marsden. Voice of Ralph Ineson.