The Devil and Father Amorth

Name: The Devil and Father Amorth
Genre: Horror, Documentary
Released: April 20, 2018
Duration: 68 min
Rating: 46
Cast: Gabriele Amorth, Robert Barron, William Friedkin

2018

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Mixed or average reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews

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Mixed or average reviews based on 4 Ratings

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The Devil And Father Amorth

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Movie Details & Credits

The Orchard | Release Date: April 20, 2018 | Not Rated

Starring: Gabriele Amorth, Robert Barron, William Friedkin

Summary: William Friedkin returns not only to his documentary roots but to the subject of one of his most towering works, 1973’s The Exorcist. Friedkin, a legendary raconteur, leads a tour that moves from the infamous Exorcist steps in Georgetown to Italy, where he meets with the 91-year-old Father Gabriele Amorth, official exorcist of the DioceseWilliam Friedkin returns not only to his documentary roots but to the subject of one of his most towering works, 1973’s The Exorcist. Friedkin, a legendary raconteur, leads a tour that moves from the infamous Exorcist steps in Georgetown to Italy, where he meets with the 91-year-old Father Gabriele Amorth, official exorcist of the Diocese of Rome, and accompanies Amorth on one of his harrowing house calls. A sprightly, at times gonzo-style, investigation into the long history of demonic lore, and a one-of-a-kind insight into the persistence of medieval belief in the supposedly modern world.
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Director: William Friedkin

Genre(s): Horror, Documentary

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 68 min

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Critic Reviews

Chuck Bowen

Apr 17, 2018

The Devil and Father Amorth is a flimsy stunt, but in his blunt, slapdash way, William Friedkin locates the intersection existing between religion and pop culture—a fusion that insidiously steers political currents. Read full review

Owen Gleiberman

Mar 20, 2018

It is often an oddly compelling tabloid foray, since it winds up shedding a crucial ray of light on the mad moment we’re in now. Whether or not you believe in the Devil, the film helps to color in how our culture got possessed. Read full review

Michael Rechtshaffen

Apr 18, 2018

While the slim sampler platter would be more at home on an "Exorcist" commemorative DVD release, the documentary, accentuated with unnerving bursts of music sampled from the works of neoromantic composer Christopher Rouse, should placate the rabid fan base. Read full review

John DeFore

Apr 18, 2018

This would be an interesting subject to explore at length, with a host who didn't seem to be padding an opportunity for self-promotion with the trappings of science. Unfortunately, Friedkin goes overboard in the short film's final scenes, describing a second encounter with the possessed woman that was far more dramatic than this one. Read full review

David Sims

Apr 19, 2018

The Devil and Father Amorth at times seems like it’s trying to set the record straight on exorcisms. Amorth is presented in the kindliest of lights, and the ritual seems to involve little more than intense prayer. But again and again, Friedkin can’t help but come off as an old showman dusting off his bag of tricks. Read full review

Oktay Ege Kozak

Apr 26, 2018

It bears an overall feeling that we’re watching a work in progress. Read full review

Alonso Duralde

Mar 20, 2018

If you don’t believe in this stuff, then the film is exploiting a young woman with mental issues. And if you do believe, it’s hard not to question the devil’s strategy. Read full review

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AGeekNamedBob

Aug 15, 2018

In 1973, William Friedkin directed what is often referred to as the scariest film of all time: The Exorcist. Adapted from his novel itself based upon a real case by William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist has become a touchstone of the genre, and the film all later filmed exorcisms is comparedIn 1973, William Friedkin directed what is often referred to as the scariest film of all time: The Exorcist. Adapted from his novel itself based upon a real case by William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist has become a touchstone of the genre, and the film all later filmed exorcisms is compared against.Many sequels and two prequels followed*, but none have reached the cultural ziegtgeist as well as the original feature. It was also the favorite film from Father Gabriele Amorth, the subject of this 2018 documentary by Friedkin. Who is Father Amorth and why does it matter The Exorcist is his top film? He was only the Exorcist in Chief for the Vatican from 1985 until his death in 2016, reported to have performed over ten thousand exorcisms. After meeting Friedkin for a magazine article, Amorth was able to secure permission from the Vatican to be the first to film a Catholic exorcism. Who wouldn’t want to see a “real” exorcism filmed by the director of the most famous filmed one?

The ultimate result is of interest, but slight. Clocking in at only 68 minutes, Friedkin keeps the documentary as lean and direct as he can with just enough fluff to get to nearly feature length. Why is the documentary so short? For all of the interest related to filming a real exorcism, the event itself doesn’t have much to show. One would hope most viewers wouldn’t expect anything like a sensonation film exorcism, but even with expectations low, the event is underwhelming. Friedkin choses to show about ten minutes; this ten minutes is the titular priest reading from a laminated card some Latin (crossing the line in the **** sand her and reading it aloud), while the subject (now in her ninth attempt) grumbles in a different register than her speaking voice. This voice is disconcerning, true, but the single trick of the possession. Thus, Friedkin is stuck with building up to and then discussing the lackluster central event. Thus, he spends a while at the opening recounting the background from the original film and the aftermath in grilling scientists and religious figures about the event. Grilling might be too tough a word, film fans know Friedkin is often gruff and direct at all points - it’s how he is, but to those watching without knowing that may see a pushy Friedkin demanding answers where there is really just conjecture on all ends. I’ve neglected questioning the religious background, whether one believes or not; that’s not for me to get into - and Friedkin touches into this in the second half as it is. That said, along the way we do get to see Father Amorth, who comes off as friendly and sincere; perhaps more of a focus on him and his history could have made a stronger documentary.

With such a short length, the documentary feels underdone, but anything else would be just fluff - which could be worse. The basis of the documentary is of interest although the central event doesn’t have much to offer. As it is presented, The Devil and Father Amorth would be a great supplementary feature on the next of the endless releases of the Exorcist on home media, but on it’s own is underwhelming. *I honestly believe I like Exorcist III (written and directed by Blatty from his book Legion) better on a personal level, but that’s no remark against the effectiveness of the technically better original. The less we speak of the first sequel or the two versions of the prequel the better. I’ve not seen the television show, but I’ve heard great things.… Expand

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JLuis_001

Aug 3, 2018

A rather simplistic curiosity that I can hardly say was worth the time invested because in some way it never stops feeling like a small documentary that would have been simply an extra in some home edition of The Exorcist

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