The previews for The Rite looked interesting enough, but once it came out, the reaction was not good. You never know until you see it for yourself and that is exactly what I did. It’s not as bad as some have made it out to be. Sure, it is another movie about exorcisms and, of course, every movie like this is compared to The Exorcist.
The truth is, I don’t really care for The Exorcist. Personally, The Last Exorcism made the genre refreshing and scary as hell. So is The Rite better than The Last Exorcism? No. However, the movie does a nice, simple job of telling a story about two people who, at first, believe in two different things, but by the end, their beliefs are forced out and the truth reveals itself.
Michael Kovak (Colin O’Donoghue) grew up being around the dead. His father (played by Rutger Hauer) was a mortician and he helped him throughout his childhood. But Michael wants out and the only way he can get his father to agree and pay for schooling is by becoming a priest. Yet a teacher notices the potential that Michael may have and sends him to Italy for him to study exorcisms.
There he meets Father Lucas Trevant (Anthony Hopkins), an unorthodox exorcist who has seen it all. Father Lucas gives Michael an up close and personal look at what an exorcist does and how an exorcism is performed. While Michael does not believe a demon has taken over one’s body, Father Lucas shows him firsthand the damage the Devil can do to a person’s mind, body, and soul. Just because Michael does not believe, it does not mean he’s safe.
The Rite is slow-paced and only offers a few moments that may make you jump out of your seat. But there is something about the mood and tone of the movie that provides a haunting feeling throughout. The performance by Hopkins is terrific, creepy, and flat out scary at times. I do not think an actor such as Hopkins can ruin any movie. He is someone you can always count on. This character is no Hannibal Lector, but Hopkins does get to get a little crazy in this, which is fun to watch.
O’Donoghue does his best to play the opposite of what Father Lucas stands for and believes in. Michael is a bright, young man who thinks rationally and thinks he has all the answers. But once he gets a real taste of what Father Lucas has been trying to teach him, he begins to question everything he has ever known or believed in.
I must admit, my expectations for this movie were not that high. Perhaps that is why I think The Rite is a pretty good movie for what it is. And while the topic of exorcisms is familiar territory, it does not hurt to have a strong screen presence such as Hopkins to tell the story. It is not the horror film that some are hoping it is, and if you are looking for a big surprise at the end or hoping for a twist, you will be disappointed. Director Mikael Hafstrom (Derailed, 1408) puts one man’s beliefs against another and lets them fight it out while we watch their transformation unfold right before our eyes.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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