The Exorcism Of God 2022 Review: A Priest Gets Punished For His Sexual Sins

Exorcism movies are overplayed for a reason. When they hit, they touch into a primitive, innate dread, playing on themes of faith, control, and religion that shake people to their core, even non-believers. The Exorcism of God, directed by Alejandro Hidalgo, falls short in this sense, yet while relying on common tropes, it has enough distinctive flourishes and goes crazy enough to be really spectacular and a darn interesting watch. Here, we have our review of the 2022 movie The Exorcism Of God.

Father Peter Williams, an American priest, ministering in Mexico, is coerced into executing an exorcism for which he is unprepared. It goes wrong, and he ends up committing a horrific sin, despite the fact that he appears to have thrown out the demon. He now lives in a little village, 18 years later, in silent servitude. Despite the fact that he is revered by the population, he is nevertheless plagued with guilt and secrets. A familiar demon appears and takes possession of Esperanza, a young lady, setting off a war for the village’s soul.

The Exorcism Of God 2022 Review: The Same Old Thing

There’s no reason for The Exorcism of God to be so serious about itself. Director Alejandro Hidalgo seemed to have the proper approach for the first 15 minutes, depicting an amusingly campy exorcism of a young woman named Magali (Irán Castillo) who is possessed by the demon of deception Balaban. In the screenplay, Fr. Peter Williams (a mostly forgettable Will Beinbrink) disobeys orders to commence the exorcism since there is no time to wait for holy reinforcements, even though he is not ready in God’s eyes. For his troubles, he is subjected to a never-ending bombardment of sexual comments, but not in the horrific sense of a film like The Exorcist. No, Peter’s secret crush on Magali is only a tool for funny horny seduction by a demon. If it’s attempting to be frightening, it fails miserably.

Balaban attempts a last-ditch possession of Peter, compelling him to sexually assault Magali’s unconscious body. Peter stays with the secret for another eighteen years, knowing that if he tells a Bishop, he will be excommunicated and unable to continue his orphanage charity work in Mexico, which he has been doing for nearly as long. Don’t get me wrong: The Exorcism of God isn’t interested in telling a thought-provoking plot about accountability or concealing the truth for the greater good. Peter, on the other hand, will have to be pure of heart and eventually confess if he is to permanently exile Balaban.