The Pope’s Exorcist (2023)

Film and Plot Synopsis

Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican, The Pope’s Exorcist follows Amorth as he investigates a young boy’s terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden. (Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment)

‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ Movie Summary

The film begins in an Italian village in 1987. Father Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe) is summoned to help a man who people believe has been possessed by a demon. Amorth is the Pope’s (Franco Nero) personal exorcist and is very skeptical of the man’s “possession”. Amorth enters the room where the man is tied to a bed. He taunts the “demon” several times and challenges the “demon” to possess a pig that Amorth has brought into the room with him. Ultimately, the “demon” possesses the pig and Amorth commands the pig to be executed. The possessed man appears to return to normal.

Not long after, Amorth is summoned to the Vatican to appear before a Church tribunal who disapproves of his methods. The leader of the group, American Cardinal Sullivan (Ryan O’Grady), chastises Amorth for acting without permission from his superiors. Another member of the group, African Bishop Lumumba (Cornell John), advises the group that Amorth generally does not deal with legitimate exorcisms and primarily deals with people with severe mental illness. Amorth points out that the Italian man was not possessed and was severely mentally ill. Amorth assures the group that the man is getting the help he needs now. Amorth chastises the group and assures them that evil does exist in the world and that if they have a problem with his methods that they can take it up with the Pope. Disgusted, Amorth leaves the meeting.

A short time later, the Pope assigns Amorth to visit an alleged possessed boy in Spain. The boy, Henry Vasquez (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney), is an American who has moved into an abandoned abbey with his mother Julia (Alex Essoe) and his older sister Amy (Laurel Marsden), after the death of Henry’s father in a car accident six months earlier. Henry was in the car when his father died and saw him impaled. Henry has not spoken since the car accident. The family inherited the abbey and is working on remodeling it for potential sale. After an accident in the basement of the abbey, Henry appears to become possessed, and Amorth is summoned after medical professionals reach their limits for traditional treatment. Henry (voiced by Ralph Ineson) requests a priest, and a local priest by the name of Father Tomas Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto) arrives but is viciously thrown out of the room by unknown forces. Henry demands Amorth.

Amorth arrives via scooter a short time later. He advocates the importance of prayer to everyone and then goes to inspect Henry. Henry antagonizes Amorth and Esquibel and claims to have knowledge of their respective sins. At one point, Esquibel begins to strangle Henry after the boy reveals that Esquibel has had a sexual relationship with a young woman in his parish. Amorth realizes that he is dealing with an actual possession and attempts to exorcise the demon from Henry. However, despite Amorth’s best efforts, Henry remains possessed. Amorth explains to Esquibel that they must free Henry soon or the boy’s body will likely expire from the possession. Amorth also explains that if they can learn the name of the demon, they will have some power over the demon. Amorth recruits the assistance of Julia, who is not religious and has not attended church since she was a child. Nevertheless, Amorth reiterates the importance of prayer and involves Julia and Amy in the process. However, the demon eventually intermittently possesses Amy, resulting in Julia losing focus.

Let’s go to hell… Father Gabriel Amorth (Russell Crowe)

At the same time in Rome, the Pope becomes severely ill while reading ancient documents related to the abbey in Spain. The Pope is hospitalized, but he fears that Amorth is in danger as he does not understand the evil that he is facing. Back in Spain, Amorth begins investigating the abbey grounds and discovers a well that leads to a complex under the abbey. Amorth learns that the complex was sealed off by the Church as demonically dangerous. He further learns that the founder of the Spanish Inquisition, an exorcist, was possessed by a demon which used the exorcist to infiltrate the Church and commit numerous evils. Amorth also learns that the Church covered up this information, which is what the Pope learned before becoming ill. Most importantly, Amorth learns that the demon’s name is Asmodeus.

Amorth and Esquibel prepare to battle the demon again by participating in the sacrament of Confession and Absolution, which purges them of their sins. Amorth reveals that when he was an Italian partisan during World War II, he survived a battle when his entire unit was killed. In gratitude, Amorth vowed to serve God. Yet despite this vow, Amorth did not help a mentally ill woman who believed that she was possessed years before because of his pride. The woman ultimately killed herself, and Amorth has carried the guilt of her death with him since. Esquibel explains that he had a sexual relationship with a young woman that he did not later marry. Before facing Asmodeus, Amorth instructs Esquibel to wear a Miraculous Medal as a necklace for protection.

The two men begin the exorcism with Julia and Amy watching nearby. The priests begin having visions of the women they have failed. However, the demon begins threatening the lives of Julia and Amy, and Amorth becomes desperate. He offers himself as a host for the demon in exchange for the release of Henry, Julia, and Amy. The demon accepts the offer and takes control of Amorth. With a priest under his control, Asmodeus plans to inflict many horrors on the world in the name of the Church. Esquibel helps Henry, Julia, and Amy escape from the abbey before returning to help his fellow man of God.

Amorth resists the demon and tries to kill himself via hanging, but Asmodeus works to keep his host alive for his evil purposes. Amorth and Esquibel both end up in the underground complex for the final confrontation. Both men battle not only the demon, but demonic visions of the women they both failed. Esquibel uses the Medal given to him by Amorth to destroy his vision. Ultimately, the priests are successful in casting out Asmodeus and freeing Amorth. They send the demon back to Hell.

Not long after, the Pope makes a full recovery and thanks Amorth for his work. The Pope informs Amorth that Cardinal Sullivan has stepped away from his work and has now been replaced by the much friendlier Bishop Lumumba. The Pope also informs Amorth that the Church has purchased the abbey from the Vazquez family and plans to reconsecrate it. A short time later, Amorth and Esquibel are admitted into a special Church archive that includes information that indicates that there are 199 unknown sites like the abbey around the world where demons could access the human world. Bishop Lumumba indicates that a map that Amorth found in the abbey can help them locate many of the sites. Lumumba asks Amorth if he is willing to take on the assignment to combat the Devil and his minions. Esquibel volunteers to help his fellow priest and Amorth jokes that he and Esquibel are going to Hell.