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Movie Reviews - Nefarious and The Pope's Exorcist
August 21, 2023

Sometimes two movies with similar themes arrive at the same time. 

The Prestige and The Illusionist, period pieces with magicians; Armageddon and Deep Impact, impending disaster movies; Barbie and Oppenheimer, fun biopics of childhood icons. And let’s not forget, Nefarious and The Pope’s Exorcist, tales of demon possession. I assume that’s correct, since I’ve only seen the first pair and the last. And since it’s been a long time since I saw the magician movies, I guess I’ll write about the demon movies.

Nefarious

The official summary of the movie, that before a psychiatrist can complete an evaluation of a killer on death row he will commit three murders of his own, is a little misleading. By the time Dr. James Martin (Jordan Belfi) ends his day he’s convicted of three murders, which doesn’t make it any less chilling. Let’s be clear, there are no Christians in the story. But even demons believe in God. The story was developed by conservative personality Steve Deace and funded by Glenn Beck, and it leans heavily on things that like-minded people find horrific.

Assisted suicide, abortion, true injustice.

By making their talking points in the horror genre (and make no mistake, the movie was written with an agenda), they hit harder. As Nefarious, Sean Patrick Flanery puts in a powerful performance every bit as effective as Heath Ledger’s Joker. Do demons laugh at the evil humanity does in its own self-righteousness? I think so, and I can believe it sounds a lot like Nefarious. Even watching during the day, I felt uncomfortable, sickened, and jumpy.

And that was just when I saw Glenn Beck (I kid, I kid).

This low-budget thriller makes the most of its resources, and while it feels a little too stagey and intellectual to appeal to its intended audience (assuming it was made for horror fans and not delicate Christians, to whom it certainly will not), what it does it does very well. The motivations are set, the stakes are clear, and it doesn’t cheat. Deace picked his genre and holds the line, no matter what we’ve been conditioned to expect from a “religious” film. 

Is Nefarious brilliant? No. But is it a step in the right direction, worth your time and money? Yes.

The Pope’s Exorcist

Well, this is a very different movie. Russell Crowe’s Father Amorth does believe in the power of God, though his past has him struggling with God’s forgiveness. The Pope sends him to a Spanish abbey with a dark history, where a young boy has become possessed. Why here? Why now? As Father Amorth digs deeper he uncovers a Vatican secret that reveals a threat not just to the child, but also the Church. If not the entire world. Because a big movie, with its big star and big budget, has to have all things big!

No, I’m not calling Crowe fat.

Really, the only reason to watch the movie is for Crowe, who reminds me of the English professor from my freshman year of college. Father Amorth is charming yet dangerous, a man of conviction and uncertainty. Crowe doesn’t just manage the language and accent well, he also convincingly conveys those conflicting characteristics (say that three times fast!) with ease. I just wish he was in a better movie. But since they literally set up 199 sequels, he may be stuck here for a long time.

I’m not kidding: 199 sequels.

There’s nudity, gross out gore, and impossible to avoid copying of The Exorcist, yet if you’re looking for frights you’ll be disappointed. I jumped more times watching Nefarious, and I’m hardly conditioned to horror movies. Some stories leave you thinking about demonic power and put you on edge for days, if not hours. The Exorcist does. Nefarious does. The Pope’s Exorcist does not. And I believe in demons more than I believe in any movie monster. As mindless entertainment it wasn’t a bad way to pass a couple hours. But as with so many mindless hours, in three weeks I won’t remember I even saw this movie and wrote about it. 

I probably won’t be watching the final installment in 2223, either.

Whenever we have dueling movies like this, one tends to be remembered, while the other turns into a trivia question. This time, I’m not sure people will be talking about either one in a few years. Between the two, Nefarious is obviously the movie I’ll want to watch again and want to see succeed. But The Pope’s Exorcist could have been far, far worse. 

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