The Devil and Father Amorth

The film pulls you into a real life exorcism as veteran director William Friedkin shadows Father Gabriele Amorth during a session with Cristina, a shy Italian woman whose behavior has alarmed family and doctors for years. As filming unfolds, Amorth tests the limits of ritual power while Friedkin, camera in hand, records the tense exchange between faith and doubt. Cristina's episodes, described by loved ones as fits or disturbances, recur more intensely around religious holidays, prompting questions about what is happening and why. It's a documentary that relies on proximity and patient observation rather than sensational shocks, letting the ritual unfold with an unsettling intensity. The room's tension is palpable.

Directed by William Friedkin, this documentary centers on a real exorcism with Father Gabriele Amorth. It presents Cristina's case through Friedkin's lens, recording the rituals, the bedside conversations, and the uneasy ambiguities that accompany the ritual's claims. It was released in 2018.

Box office data for this title are modest and the release was limited in scope. It played mainly on the festival circuit and streaming platforms, with no wide international rollout. Precise figures aren’t widely reported and reception remained limited to niche audiences.

Culturally the film sparked debates about the power of ritual and the ethics of filming sacred rites. It leans on Amorth's fame and Friedkin's history with The Exorcist to probe belief versus skepticism. It also invites comparisons with other depictions of exorcism, and prompts theologians and scholars to weigh the line between faith and evidence.

Reception was mixed, with critics split on its approach yet drawn to its blunt portrait of faith in crisis. The film raises themes about how memory, religion and media shape what we fear and why. Some reviewers praised its restraint and observational depth while others criticized it as voyeuristic and ethically uneasy.