The Devil and Father Amorth
The Devil and Father Amorth
| 20 April 2018 (USA)
The Devil and Father Amorth Trailers

William Friedkin attends an exorcism with Father Gabriele Amorth, as he treats an Italian woman named Cristina for the ninth time. Prior to filming, Cristina had purportedly been experiencing behavioural changes and “fits” that could not be explained by psychiatry, and which became worse during Christian holidays.

Reviews
ThiefHott Too much of everything
Ameriatch One of the best films i have seen
ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.
Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.
kimmeah Spoilers aheadWhen Christina's parents were blessed by Father Amorth, she became violent with possession again. Why didn't Father Amorth focus on her again? Why did he just continue to bless her parents? If the case of possession is so unique, devastating and devastating to her, why just leave her with it while blessing other people? The narrator even mentions that she is more violent than before, but no one does anything about it? How did Father Amorth, a very holy Father, just die from pneumonia?Why was the extremely dramatic meeting in Alatri not even filmed or recorded? When you call Christina and she sounds angry on the phone, you can assume that you might have a chance to film something that is exactly what the documentary is all about. Wait, what was the documentary about again? This confirmed for me that the whole documentary is fake.
spyroschas I'm an atheist and i wached it just to see how they try to convince the ignorants that the devil exists...this is the worst attempt.the "voice" is ridiculous.the sound effect made laugh...and laugh...and laugh.. avoid it.its for idiots only.
kankrillo-50277 What a fraud. This is the worst thing I've ever seen. It's badly done. All based in a poor voice effect. Only Ignorant people would say this is real.
David Ferguson Greetings again from the darkness. In 1971, William Friedkin directed one of my all-time favorite films, THE FRENCH CONNECTION. He won the Oscar for Best Director. But of course that's not the movie which entrenched him as a cinematic legend. Two years later he directed THE EXORCIST, a film that, 45 years later, still regularly appears at or near the top of most "Best Horror film" lists. For most of his adult life (he's now in his 80's), Mr. Friedkin has been associated with exorcisms, and he kicks off this documentary by confessing that he will be attending his first ever actual exorcism ... and will be filming the ceremony. It's a ritual very few of us have ever witnessed, and we learn that more than 500,000 Italians seek exorcisms from a priest each year. The director seems very anxious to take us along on his journey.We get interviews and footage from multiple associated folks: Jeffrey Burton Russell, author of "The Prince of Darkness" and other satanic novels; William Peter Blatty, author of "The Exorcist"; a young Los Angeles priest who simultaneously expresses skepticism while stating he wouldn't want to get that close to the devil; and a couple of Neurosurgeons and some Psychiatrists. There are also interviews with a brother and sister recalling her experience of having a liberating exorcism performed on her, and the titular Father Gabriele Amorth - one of the most beloved figures in the Catholic Church. He was Head Exorcist for the Diocese of Rome for more than 30 years.Whether the movie works for you or not (whether you believe it's real) likely depends on the interview we neither see nor hear. Mr. Friedkin's build up is to the exorcism he attends as Father Amorth performs the 9th exorcism on 'Cristina'. It's May 1, 2016 and there are perhaps 12-15 people in the room, including Cristina's parents and boyfriend. She has struggled with "demonic possession" for years, and the footage is quite startling - especially the audio of the guttural voice from such an innocent looking lady. It's also Father Amorth's 91st birthday and he literally thumbs his nose at the devil. It's after this ceremony where Friedkin claims he was to interview Cristina in a local church. Inexplicably, he doesn't have his camera, so we only hear him tell of the horrific events.Mr. Friedkin directs the film (co-written with noted film critic Mark Kermode) and also acts as our guide through the rituals and beliefs associated with exorcisms. There is a bit of a "Dateline" vibe to the production, though it's a bit surreal to hear Father Amorth proclaim to the evil spirits, "You are banned forever". As has been the tradition for years, religion and science are at odds with the subject. Neurosurgeons label it "delirium", while Psychiatrists call it "Disassociate Trance Disorder". Is it merely a placebo effect caused by religious beliefs, or does Satan exist? Perhaps author Jeffrey Burton Russell says it best: "stay away from this stuff".