“THE RITE” Movie Review. “I BELIEVE in GOD because I FEAR the DEVIL.”

“THE RITE” Press Preview

Two priests, two different minds.

The OLD one is predominantly unconventional.

The YOUNGER one is harshly disbelieving.

Together, the die-hard and the skeptic embark on a journey unto the darkest depths of EXORCISM.

The mood is grim, the tone dismal.

Soon the young priest will be drawn into the supernatural world, much against his will.

He will be confronted with the ugly truth about Satan, demons, and possession.

“THE RITE” is reportedly based on actual events that occurred between two priests in Rome.

The film is directed by Mikael Hafstrom and stars Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins and a young, Irish actor named Colin O’Donoghue.

The duo is cast as the believer and the doubter.

We watch them fight a spiritual warfare, while dealing with their own personal demons.

The premise of the movie is taken from the book THE RITE: The Making of a Modern Exorcist by journalist Matt Baglio.

It’s a mind-bending parable that weaves the story of a priest-in-training Michael Kovak. Kovak is played by newcomer Colin O’Donoghue. He only believes in hard facts, in what he sees and not told.

Michael enrolls in seminary school, and is sent to Rome to attend a class on exorcism at the Vatican. He meets Father Lucas Trevant (Anthony Hopkins), a very experienced priest in the art of exorcism.

It’s right here, that the murky world of the demons unfolds before him, threatening to suck him in.

And it’s HERE, where the battle of beliefs begin.

Though exorcism films have been overdone in recent years, it is expected that Anthony Hopkins could bring a new twist and energy to this film.

Hopkins brings excellence to his role, but unfortunately not enough to instill a fresh feel to this movie.

The demonic possession scenes leave much to be desired.

You don’t get to see enough of blood, gore, levitation, spinning heads and twisted bodies.

So horror is cut out.

“THE RITE” shows that every man has his own belief system.

Father Lucas knows the Devil’s power all too well. It’s God that all too often leaves him without proof.

Michael is the opposite. He is convinced that Satan is just a myth.

Essentially “THE RITE” is an intriguing thriller with a strong performance by veteran ANTHONY HOPKINS and a dense complex script.

Let’s say it could have been done so much better.