Russell Crowe’s new film creates an intriguing trend after The Pope’s Exorcist as he will be stepping back into the demon possession subgenre. The Pope’s Exorcist follows Father Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe), the Vatican’s head exorcist, as he investigates a strange case of a possessed child. As he digs deeper into the case, he uncovers secrets the church has been keeping hidden for years as he tangles with a demon the likes of which he has never encountered before.
The film was directed by Julius Avery and was based on both the 1990 book An Exorcist Tells His Story and the 1992 book An Exorcist: More Stories by the real-life Father Gabriele Amorth. The production began in 2020, but filming did not occur until 2022 due to a directorial replacement and script revisions. The film was released in 2023 and was a mixed success, grossing $77 million worldwide at the box office.
Russell Crowe’s new lead role in The Exorcism not only continues his work in the possession horror subgenre, but also could redeem him as a horror lead after the mixed reviews of The Pope’s Exorcist. Though a sequel film is in development, The Pope’s Exorcist only got a 49% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics, though it did get an 81% audience score. The reviews highlight Crowe’s performance in the film, but cite how that performance does not make up for the tired horror beats that are present throughout, ultimately making it a weak story.
The Exorcism’s strong premise as well as the story choices could complement Crowe’s acting abilities, making the film exciting as Crowe takes on a different kind of horror character than his The Pope’s Exorcist role. The Exorcism is set to focus on an actor who, while filming a horror movie, begins to spiral into bad habits, leaving the characters and audience wondering if his breakdown has a mundane or supernatural cause. The film is set to be produced by Kevin Williamson of the Scream franchise and directed by Joshua John Miller, who co-wrote The Final Girls with M.A. Fortin.
The premise could allow Crowe the ability to amplify the suspense through his proven dramatic skills, letting Crowe showcase his potential as a horror lead more thoroughly than in his last film. These directorial and writing choices could also reinvigorate the tropes by letting Crowe add some humor to the story, expanding the subgenre’s potential as well as keeping the audience engaged. Miller can also use the story to satirize these same tropes, both in the false film and the real story, giving a sense of realism that can make audiences both laugh and scream.