“The Pope’s Exorcist” is a brilliantly produced movie with a great storyline. It is a moderate horror movie that is more interested in examining important historical events than scaring the viewer. The director has ensured that the viewer is not too scared to follow the logic of the story or too entertained to not take it seriously.

Based on actual files and books by a Vatican exorcist, “The Pope’s Exorcist” follows the main character, Father Gabriele (played by Russell Crowe), as he fights against principalities, powers, the devil, her agents, and some rulers of the church. Father Gabriele is appointed by and answers only to the Pope (played by Franco Nero), which gives him the boldness and backing he needs to do the “Lord’s work”. However, this also breeds jealousy among his superiors and makes him a person of interest for the devil’s plans to get to the Vatican and destroy the Church.

While it is important to revisit this time in history, it is significant to note that for many countries and continents where the gospel was taken, the devil has not been fully dealt with. Even today, millennials and GenZs have memories of attending deliverance sessions for issues as insignificant as bedwetting or sleeping while praying. Such issues would have been directed to the hospital by Father Gabriele 98% of the time.

Although sermons might have drifted towards prosperity over “die by fire”, our hearts have become abbeys with the knowledge and fear of the devil, the fallen angels, and all their witches and wizards. This is another important theme examined by the movie: the impracticality of moving on from our dark histories, whether they be church history or any other history. Such histories tend to hamper growth and continue to haunt generations long after they occurred, even up to the fourth generation.

This is exemplified by the characters; Henry (played by Peter DeSouza-Feighoney), his mother (Julia, played by Alex Essoe), and sister (Amy, played by Laurel Marsden), who move into their late father’s only inheritance until it is sold. They become innocent victims of a revenge mission when they are possessed and tormented by a spirit trapped in the basement. The question is, can we ever truly move on? We are all victims of history and precedent to some extent.

“The Pope’s Exorcist” also raises important questions about the responsibility the church must take in correcting or redeeming its actions. What should the church do for the evils it inflicts, such as in the case of Rosaria (played by Bianca Bardoe), whose memory and guilt are used by the devil to torment the exorcist for not believing her when she needed help after being sexually assaulted by priests which led to her suicide? Or the evils it is contracted to combat, because “if there’s no evil, of what use is the church,” as Father Gabriele says to a panel of inquisition set up to shut him down?

The movie sets an example for what this responsibility could look like by having the church buy the abbey from the owners and settle them back in the US. A gesture that might be appreciated by Africa if the church decides to buy the devil off the continent and set it back on the path to development and full recovery.

Watch trailer here: