"The Pope's Exorcist" franchise gains momentum with Russell Crowe's lead role.

The Pope's Exorcist, starring Russell Crowe as an Italian exorcist who reports directly to the pope, is a well-made horror movie that knows how silly it should be. The film's clever world-building and playful nods to The Exorcist franchise make it stand out in the stale exorcism genre. Director Julius Avery's creative shots and setups, along with Crowe's hammy Italian accent, add to the fun. The movie ends with a tease for sequels, and the author hopes that each of the 199 exorcisms left for Father Amorth to perform gets its own film.