The devil is enjoying a star turn in Hollywood, where a pair of movies about demonic possession are getting mixed reviews from real-life experts on exorcisms.
Both “Nefarious” and “The Pope’s Exorcist” hit the big screen on April 14, hoping to mine the same occult fascination that made William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist” a terrifying classic 50 years ago. That film, which stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, and Lee J. Cobb, caused countless nightmares and set the standard for movies about demonic possession. It even spawned a reboot in 2021, showing interest in Lucifer has not waned.
“The devil is real,” said Roman Catholic exorcist and psychologist Rev. John Szada. “We encounter increasing numbers of cases day by day of individuals under attack, physically, mentally, and spiritually.”
Experts interviewed by The Daily Wire praised “Nefarious,” a faith-based film from Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon, the writing and directing duo behind “God’s Not Dead” and “Unplanned.” The film stars Sean Patrick Flanery, as Edward, who has been convicted of several murders, and Nefarious, the demon inside him. A psychiatrist is assigned to evaluate his claims of possession. As the film, which includes a cameo appearance by conservative personality Glenn Beck, unfolds, the viewer is confronted with the intellectual reality of demonic possession, portrayed in a realistic and less dramatic light than Hollywood’s typical take on the subject.
“God keeps Satan on a short chain – everything that is done is through God’s permissive will,” said author and podcaster Terese Piccola, a wife and mother of four who says she experienced possession by several demons.
Piccola, who says she was liberated from demonic possession after 18 months of solemn exorcism, told The Daily Wire the film resonated deeply with her. She recalled being unable to resist the demons that possessed her, demons she said were invited into her mind and body because of her experiences with rape, trauma, occultism, promiscuity, and abortion. One scene that particularly struck her had Flanery’s demonic character describing abortion as a modern-day adaptation of Baal-ritual.
“It was interesting how he describes the altar, because in one pivotal session (of her solemn exorcism), that’s exactly what I saw in my mind’s eye – a baby being sacrificed on an altar,” she said. “It was horrific, but I suspect from seeing how that was depicted in the film, I am not the only one to have endured that reality.”
Sony Pictures’ “The Pope’s Exorcist” stars Russell Crowe as real-life exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth, one of the most renowned exorcists in the Catholic Church and upon whose autobiography the film is loosely based. But despite the A-lister’s presence and an $18 million budget, the film was quickly condemned by the International Association of Exorcists for its lack of accuracy and the gory sensationalism of its depiction of exorcisms.
Crowe declined comment when contacted by The Daily Wire.
Piccola faulted “The Pope’s Exorcism” for dramatizing possession while downplaying God’s role in the process of achieving ultimate liberation. One reason “Nefarious” rang true with her was a chilling line from the demon whose name gives the film its title.
“We offer up a series of temptations, gradually increasing in terms of duration and intensity; degree of moral inequity,” the character states. The demon goes on to explain as the victim continues to succumb to temptation, the demonic influence grows stronger, eventually leading to possession.
That point, about how free will and the ability to reject temptation and sin is missing in “The Pope’s Exorcist,” according to Piccola, and is rarely included in films. The depiction of demonic possession has become increasingly prevalent, however, in pop culture with TV shows such as “Lucifer”, pop superstar Sam Smith’s overt Satanic displays and a planned event by the Satanic Temple in Boston, set for this weekend.
Szada attributes current interest in the occult, shallow as it may be, to the collapse of faith in God.
“If people do not believe in God, they need to find something else to believe in,” he said. “People seek stability and security in an increasingly chaotic world, and the use of practices such as the Ouija board, Tarot cards, faith healers, and fortune tellers provide a false sense of knowledge and power.”
Such faddish dabbling is not without risk, Szada said.
“There is a real danger in becoming too fascinated with evil and demonic forces in our popular culture,” Szada said. “It can blur the lines between fantasy and reality, and make it harder for people to recognize the true nature of evil when it presents itself in their lives.”
The answer to resisting temptation that can lead to madness lies with God, according to Szada.
“To rediscover [God] is the only way to find true peace and security in a world that is increasingly dominated by the forces of darkness.”