It doesn’t matter how heavily it factors into the marketing campaign, there’s always going to be at least a small section of horror fans who don’t buy into the “based on real events” hype for a solitary second. Those with an affinity for the supernatural might be willing to apply a little more leeway, but even at that, The Pope’s Exorcist stretches its credentials to breaking point.
While the real Gabriele Amorth was indeed appointed as the Pope’s personal exorcist, we’d find it very hard to believe he engaged in anything that even remotely resembled what Russell Crowe found himself wrapped up in during director Julius Avery’s gonzo supernatural splatter-fest.
Not that anybody was going in expecting a biopic, though, seeing as the trailers made it patently clear that outside of its protagonist being a very real person deeply embedded in the Catholic church, it was open season when it came to creative liberties. That did sort of work in The Pope’s Exorcist‘s favor, seeing as it netted $73 million at the box office and made an instant play for cult favorite status, with an 81 percent audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes highlighting its appeal to the target audience.
It’s taken that concept and run with it on streaming, too, after FlixPatrol named The Pope’s Exorcist as one of streaming’s biggest hits this week, by virtue of its position as a Top 10 occupant of the Amazon, iTunes, Google Play Movies, and Vudu rankings in the United States. At this rate, there’s going to be no surprise and maybe even some celebrations if it ends up getting a sequel.