Among many horror aficionados, 1973’s The Exorcist is still considered to be the scariest movie ever made. Its depiction of demonic possession is downright horrifying, but fans could at least take comfort in the fact that it was only a movie — or was it?
A new documentary, The Devil and Father Amorth, purports to show a real exorcism performed by the late Catholic priest Father Gabrielle Amorth, who was the head exorcist for the Diocese of Rome, AKA the Vatican, for over three decades. The movie is directed by William Friedkin, whom you may recognize as the director of The Exorcist, which sure makes it seem like this will be the scariest documentary film ever made.
In 2016, Friedkin was invited to film one of Amorth’s exorcisms, performed on an anonymous Italian woman for the ninth time. Filming wrapped up just a few months prior to Amorth’s death, and the movie features commentary from believers and non-believers alike, in addition to the exorcism itself. Speaking of said exorcism, the sounds of the woman believed to be possessed in the trailer are pure nightmare fuel, and we can only imagine what kinds of horrors the rest of the film has in store. Check out the trailer below, if you dare.
The Devil and Father Amorth will open in New York and Los Angeles for a limited theatrical run on April 20, followed by a worldwide digital release.
