‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ Is the #1 Movie on Netflix Right Now

Brought to the big screen by Sony earlier this year, The Pope’s Exorcist was quietly a box office hit back in April, scaring up $76 million worldwide on a production budget of just $18 million. We’ve heard that a sequel is already in early development, and Sony is surely thrilled to hear that the Russell Crowe film is finding even more of an audience over on Netflix.

The Pope’s Exorcist hit Netflix on August 16 and it’s currently the #1 most popular movie on the streaming service, beating out films including brand new Netflix Originals like The Monkey King and Heart of Stone. It didn’t take long for the film to shoot to the top of Netflix’s charts, no doubt aided by its profile being raised by the theatrical release earlier this year.

There’s nothing remarkable about The Pope’s Exorcist, either good or bad, but a fun performance from Russell Crowe makes this one worth a watch. He’s able to elevate the material from forgettable to enjoyable, which is likely why it’s doing so well on Netflix. Or maybe audiences are just hungry for exorcism horror, while they wait for The Exorcist: Believer.

Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican (Academy Award®-winner Russell Crowe; 2000, Best Actor, Gladiator), 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.

Julius Avery (Overlord) directed The Pope’s Exorcist.

From Sony’s Screen Gems, The Pope’s Exorcist is based on real-life exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth, “the legendary Italian priest who performed over 100,000 exorcisms for the Vatican.”

Evan Spiliotopoulos wrote the current draft with revisions by Chuck MacLean, based on Michael Petroni-revised original drafts by Chester Hastings and R. Dean McCreary.

When it comes to demonic possession, the Vatican trusts one man.

Russell Crowe is The Pope’s Exorcist. Now on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/hcURrw0IFu

— Netflix (@netflix) August 16, 2023