The Rite (2011) User Reviews

Since Exorcist, there's maybe one or two movies of this subject that have been good...half decent...and this is one of them.

[poicop · 7/10 · 31 January 2011]

Sometimes you read reviews, but want to see the film so bad, you go, and because your expectations are so low. You enjoy the movie. Reviews seems to be on the good side, with earlier reviews being very bad.

This is a good movie. The acting is good. The directing is good. Unfortunately some people are bothered by the lead in the movie. But that's his job. And he did his job well. He was picked for a good reason. I would only be guessing why. But those/the director/writer who created this movie did a good job. The feel of this film, the length. I had a good time.

I would give this film a decent 7 out of 10. It does not rely on gore to scare you, or major special effects, or 3D. No doubt Anthony Hopkins is great in this film.

I enjoyed it. You get what you paid for. Your not going to get The Exorcist. But in the HORROR film library, if you ask me, 80 - 85% of them all are garbage, or slasher, gore, which I do not consider a "Horror Movie."

Well done everyone involved. It will not win awards. But so far it's a decent film that I will remember as one of the good ones from 2011.

Lastly....anyone talking during the movie...were silenced.

The making of an exorcist.

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 2 July 2011]

The devil is alive and very active. Michael Kovak(Colin O'Donoghue) has second thoughts about staying with the family tradition. He has spent his life thus far helping his father at the family funeral home. He has been taught that preparing the body deserves respect and actually is akin to a piece of art. Michael has made his mind up to enter seminary school to become a priest. Despite his feelings that demonic possession is a pile of malarkey , the priest-in-making is recommended for an elite and special exorcism class in Rome. For the next several months Michael is under the guidance of Father Lucas(Anthony Hopkins), who introduces him to the devil's power and wrath up close and personal. The young cleric will attend exorcisms conducted by Father Lucas, who himself may know the devil more than he wants. Michael still isn't totally convinced an exorcism is ever needed instead of psychological therapy.

Director Mikael Hafstrom's supernatural thriller is based on actual events and is very graphic and contains disturbing images and sequences. Also in the cast: Toby Jones, Rutger Hauer, Marta Gastini, Alice Braga and Claran Hinds.

"Something Missing And Something Present"

[kimi_layercake · 7/10 · 27 April 2011]

"The Rite" is an American supernatural horror film about an American seminary student who travels to Italy to take an exorcism course. The turn of events at Rome make him question his self beliefs and embark him on a journey of self fruition and worldly truth.

Cast wise, No complain. Anthony Hopkins seems very natural for his role of Father Lucas, an unorthodox Exorcist who questions his faith after a failed exorcism. His performance,specially the devil possessed climax performance brings in mind the chilling menace he showcased in "Silence Of The Lambs" or "Fracture" etc. Newcomer Colin O'Donoghue plays his role of an upcoming reluctant Priest cum Exorcist with diligence and audacity. His appearance,something of a mixture of dark and white makes him an ideal candidate for Batman's Bruce Wayne role. His performance was not over-the-top nor was it beginner's mess. Rest chips in well in their roles.

"The Rite" strength and weakness both lies in its Storyline. Fact is the storyline deals with the sensitive issues of demonic possession, faith contradictions, exorcism, good versus bad issues in a very delicate ways. Neither the Director injects heroic acts to make it entertaining nor incorporate gore and violence to make an impact. Everything is dealt in a very instinctual manner, rendering the movie being liked by a section of viewers for its authenticity and veracious dealing with its subject material; on the other hand, being distasteful to the other section of viewers for being non entertaining and devoid of gore and violence.

Overall, "The Rite" has something missing and something present. Even though the subject material might be difficult to digest for most viewers, "The Rite" succeeds in capturing the viewer's attention and appreciation.

My Verdict: 7/10

Atmospheric supernatural drama...

[Dr_Sagan · 5 October 2014]

This is a movie that deals with the "delicate" theme of exorcism (i.e. the practice of evicting a demon from a person they are believed to be possessed). I describe it as delicate because it seems very difficult to distinguish a person with a mental illness from someone who is possessed, IF such thing exists at all in real life.

In past times, demonic possession was a common belief to explain the abnormal behavior of a person. Even nowadays, when everything else has failed, and the science can't provide a solution, people in some parts of the world still believe in that and seek help to practices of mysticism like exorcisms.

In this movie exorcism is presented in conjunction with lost faith. It is inevitable that the non-believer has to see with his own eyes for his faith to be restored.

The atmosphere of the movie is eerie from the start. Even before the demons...present themselves! The reluctant hero and the universe that conspires so he can find his way to God, is presented in a solid way.

The cast is good. Anthony Hopkins is as excellent as ever. The music helps to establish the theme of the movie and Rome and the Vatican look majestic as ever, maybe the best set to place such a movie.

There are some grisly images but you want be scared because of them. The director bets on the atmosphere if not anything else.

Overall: Not a great movie, but not bad either. It won't help your faith to become stronger. For that look elsewhere.

An enjoyable though minor thriller

[Ric-7 · 7/10 · 1 February 2011]

From what I could see on sites such as Rotten Tomatoes, the critical consensus was not too favorable. Yet Roger Ebert thought it was a decent little film. After seeing it, so did I.

The scenario of this film was tailor-made for Anthony Hopkins. Could you imagine a better excuse for scenery-chewing and over-the-top carrying-on, other than demonic possession? So you can't complain about the overacting: the Devil made him do it. The demonically-possessed cannot be expected to turn in a subtle performance.

Hopkins did a perfectly fine job with the set up. And the rest of the cast was equally suitable for what they had to do.

It was good to see Rutger Hauer again, a totally remarkable and outstanding actor. He had a very limited role (maybe five minutes screen time total), enough to make me wish he worked more in current films. I miss him.

I have not read the book this film is supposedly based on. But I would assume that fidelity to it is not a major point. There was a lot of humanity and recognizable human emotions evident in this film, and I saw no indications that the film was intended to convert unbelievers. And it worked up to some very suspenseful situations. Which is just what a thriller should do.

This was another instance of Roman Catholic exorcism. There were seven "orders" or steps in becoming a priest. In that order, from minor to major: porter, lector, exorcist, acolyte, subdeacon, deacon and priest. This set of orders supposedly was instituted a millennium ago, or more. In more recent times, the "exorcist" order is virtually ceremonial. The actual current exorcists are specially appointed priests. But it makes you wonder: back in the Early Ages, the next step after reading the Bible at church services (being a "lector") was to cast out demons (being an "exorcist"). Was there a special need way back then? Such that the faithful could not wait for an ordained priest to intervene? We've also seen Protestant exorcism recently, in The Last Exorcism. I have no reason to believe that casting out demons is limited in any way to Roman Catholics. I think the next film begging to be made is a Jewish exorcism. Perhaps there is a Muslim equivalent as well.

I am not saying that you have to go out and see "The Rite" rite now in the cinema. I don't regret seeing it there. But when it becomes available in a form that you can enjoy at home, it would definitely be something worth while to watch.

Hopkins!

[caeciliemoebius · 6/10 · 2 October 2021]

Hopkins, as has been said here before, is HUGE. Also, there are cats.

I'd really love a movie on this subject that explains to us what's really going on. Is this exorcism business just happening because of mental illness on both sides?

One of the better movies about exorcism out there

[sweety2011 · 7/10 · 24 April 2011]

this film separates from other films about exorcism because it goes into depth about real exorcisms through the observations of the journalist Matt Baglio who wrote the book entitled The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, and the experience based on that of Reverend Gary Thomas. A novel that explores the misconceptions of what exorcism is about, from disbelievers in demons/the devil, least of all in possession by them, who takes a course at a Vatican university, one as requested by his bishop, the other studying in journalism, and who both changed their view on exorcism altogether. however, just because they did this doesn't mean one should make judgment against them in a negative way, because that's not what it's all about. nor is it about believing, or glorifying god. there've been many exorcisms in the past, and Baglio was present in over twenty of them. it's simply about a story of how these people came to believe in this evil taking the form of demonic possession. however despite this, it is rare to find a film that explores what real exorcism is like for priests dealing with them. how one interprets that is up to the individual to decide. often novels are better than the film, but does that mean the film deserves a poor rating? certainly for this film, i believe not. it's really good for what it is.

onto the film, it isn't a horror movie as much as it is suspense. it's about a young male, Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue) who originally enters a college for the education of the priesthood to get a free college degree. after his ordination, he writes a resignation letter to his superior Father Matthew (Toby Jones) due to a lack of faith he has had since childhood after the loss of his mother. however, Father Matthew recommends he go to the Vatican City instead and take a course in exorcism and that if he still wants to resign after that, he's free to leave, despite Father Matthew believing the priesthood to be Michael's true calling after an experience he saw him in. in Rome, Michael meets a woman named Angelina (Alice Braga), who he later learns is a reporter writing her piece on exorcism, as she believes in the supernatural/demonic possession after the experience of her brother at his age of nineteen. Father Xavier (Ciarán Hinds) teaches the class, but upon seeing that Michael is a skeptic, tells Michael to see Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins) to see if that will change his mind. Father Lucas has a demon-possessed young pregnant girl, a 16 yr old by the name of Rosaria (Marta Gastini), where it is later discovered that her father raped her, and that it was the cause for the demon to possess her. that demon also takes shape of a mule. Father Lucas blames himself for her later death, and suddenly the same demon who had killed Rosaria enters him. before this, mysterious things start happening, like the incident with the frogs. and the incident with the bracelet that keeps coming back to Michael. and the knowledge of a little boy about something that hadn't happened yet. there are flashbacks of Michael's life with his father (Rutger Hauer) and a weird phone call Michael gets about him. from then it's about whether he believes. throughout the film he doubts, as he tries to convince himself of an explanation behind every situation he encounters.

what perhaps some people would not like is that it feels as though the makers are more leaning towards it being real, and perhaps don't approve of the ending. Anthony Hopkins is great, but it's Marta Gastini who shines in her role. Colin does well for his role. i don't think this is a film that will change one's mind in demonic possession nor restore faith/reconnect with the church, and it will certainly be a disappointment to people who love watching films about exorcists, but for those who don't set expectations, perhaps their opinion about this film will vary

Mediocre but Good

[Bob_the_Hobo · 7/10 · 28 January 2011]

I had high expectations for "The Rite", which according to the poster stars Anthony Hopkins as an exorcist. Mikael Hafstrom (who guided 1408 and DeRailed remarkably well) directs, and the horror element with these two masters intrigued me even more. But this isn't The Silence of the Lambs by any means, nor is it The Exorcist.

The real star is Colin O'Donaghue's Michael Kovac, a young man from Chicago who runs a mortuary with his father (in a great performance by Rutger Hauer). The younger Kovac makes his way to a monestary headed by a Priest played by Toby Jones, who by a movie-coincidental turn of events suggests Kovac head to Rome to study the art of Exorcism.

Kovac arrives and meets the character of Father Xavier (Ciaran Hinds), who quickly realizes that his new pupil is losing his faith. Seeing a bright mind that stands to be lost, Xavier suggests the hermit-seeming Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins, finally). Lucas quickly performs an exorcism, then another. And another. And pretty soon we can't help but ask ourselves if Rome has more exorcisms than Panera bread.

"The Rite" is a good movie that doesn't seem to know what to do with itself. Anthony Hopkins doesn't show up til a fourth of the way into the movie and still he is not at all the main character. O'Donaghue, who has to shoulder the burden of being the film as well as trying to hold a candle to Hopkins, does quite well. He is believable and no matter how clichéd his story is we want to see the best for him in the end.

Alice Braga is your typical horror movie heroine. She plays "Angelina", no last name, and is a ballsy reporter doing a story on exorcisms. The plot plays around with a romance for a bit before Kovac decides to become a priest. Rutger Hauer does a fine job in his bit part as the older Kovac. Likewise Toby Jones and Ciaran Hinds.

Cinematography is also excellent. The shots of Rome and the interiors of the Vatican, Father Lucas' home, and the exorcisms themselves are filmed very well. The script is my main problem. In the middle of one of these exorcisms, Hopkins answers his phone and expects O'Donaghue to continue on. Badly used comic effect that not even Hopkins can save.

This is a mediocre film that doesn't take itself too, too seriously and made an enjoyable two hours or so. It's very much like so many movies coming out nowadays, however, in that it's just to forgettable.

Seen it all before, this one

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 30 March 2016]

I know THE RITE has garnered some decent reviews here on the IMDb, but for the life of me I don't see why. It's an entirely predictable (i.e., Hollywood style) exorcism thriller that wastes the talents of an excellent cast in a story that's both plodding and predictable. We're off to Italy, of course, where a young priest is suffering a crisis of faith (of course) until he hooks up with an experienced exorcist and the pair embark on some gruelling adventures.

It sounds intriguing but but really, THE RITE isn't. The usual demonic possession clichés are all here, although they're toned down a bit and not explicit (and having had my fill of demonic nastiness in the likes of the EVIL DEAD remake and others, I'm not upset about that). But everything that happens is so obvious and largely uninteresting that it's impossible to get excited or indeed interested in. The story constantly feels pedestrian instead of innovative.

Anthony Hopkins puts in his usual solid performance, although I felt a bit sorry for him with the role he's been given here; it's a far cry from his former glory days. Toby Jones, Ciaran Hinds, and Rutger Hauer prop up the supporting cast in various roles, but they're given little to do and way too much of the screen time goes to the bland likes of Colin O'Donoghue and Alice Braga.

An American student of theology, attending exorcism at the Vatican and discovers his faith through the race with demonic forces.

[n-kefala · 6/10 · 14 January 2011]

Supernatural thriller based on Matt Baglio's «The Modern Day Exorcist», which is inspired by true events. After the recent "The last exorcism" another movie with similar style comes to the big screen with more epic proportions and interesting cast. The frightening scenes, the screams and the fast shots impress viewers who they keep out their eyes on the screen. The script however,at the middle of the film, starts to become annoying with naive quotes that cause laughter. Anthony Hopkins reminds (again) Hannibal Lecter but now he is more old and tired. The young Colin O'Donoghue is good in the role of student, giving a freshness to the old-fashioned story and we will probably see him in several films in the future.Michael Hafstrom's direction does not show anything special and does not add something new in a story that we have seen many times in cinema with better direction, for example by Roman Polanski in the Ninth gate. It is definitely a movie that will entertain fans of that kind of movie, with interest ... surprises until the end. Advice: don' t eat before you go to cinema to see The Rite! Add to positive music and depressing atmosphere.

half of what I wanted to see

[m_morsy1994 · 5/10 · 31 July 2017]

I decided to watch this movie because I thought I could use a thrill & I chose (The Rite) particularly as I love Hopkins & I wanted to see him in a new area .. Hopkins didn't turn me down but the movie did.

I actually liked the build up , defining Micheal (the main character) was good ,& that's what annoys me the characters & the side stories took more time & attention than the main event which came very short & not enough scary. what I mean is Rosaria's exorcism process took much longer than Lucas's & was better directed , but not more scary & I think that's because of Hopkins great performance .

I was disappointed as the movie wasn't scary enough, a lot of motives just weren't clear & the End was kind of rushed and far from creative .

Underrated (and carried by Hopkins)

[kuarinofu · 8/10 · 9 May 2021]

The Rite is a good and very atmospheric exorcism film. Although released clearly not in a good time for this sub-genre, it still holds up well even 10 years later.

The setting is nice, the cinematography is great. It's not a demon-slasher like the more recent pieces of this sub-genre (like The Nun) and it plays more into the psychological aspect (just as the director did with 1408), this is how I like my exorcism films.

But what really makes this work for me, it's the performances. This film is carried by acting, and although most of the cast did a great job, O'Donoghue, Hauer...Hopkins stole the show. You get completely immersed in his performance, every detail, every emotion is projected through it. It is clearly one of his best if not the best roles since The Silence of the Lambs.

The story itself of course isn't perfect, and it has some elements reminiscent of the time, but when Hopkins is on screen, you just completely forget about everything else.

Personally, I think the film is way underrated on IMDB, especially if you compare the rating to more recent entries in this sub-genre.

A strong recommendation.

A decent and semi scary, entry to the possessed genre.

[RatedVforVinny · 7/10 · 26 September 2019]

A very powerful possession movie, with Anthony Hopkins playing the most experienced priest in the field but ultimately he falls prey to a powerful demon that even he cannot control. Another pretty scary possession movie and although in recent years there has been a few insipid ones, 'The Rite' is certainly worth seeking out (even though it was a bit low key on release). As expected Hopkins dominates every scene but the rest of the movie is strong enough to hold the audience captivated.

It's the 'Satanic Mule' movie! Prepare ye not to be terrified!

[wadechurton · 1/10 · 7 January 2012]

I have no belief in the supernatural but when it comes to movies there is nothing I like better than a good horror. If the movie is sufficiently well-made, then there is no problem suspending disbelief for cursed video tapes, cannibal zombies, giant monsters, vengeful ghosts or pretty much anything else. 'The Possession of Emily Rose' was a fairly good movie about demonic possession, but I can't think of another one. The problem with possession-based horror movies is that one either has to be a religious person who is already well-versed in such notions (and scared by them), or else the movie itself has to be very good at conveying a persuasive atmosphere of the dread and otherworldly malevolence that earthly manifestations of such beliefs should inspire. As with 'The Exorcist', 'The Rite' relies almost entirely on Christian (and specifically Catholic) beliefs for its horror value, and also as with 'The Exorcist', too bad if you're a non-believer because there's not much left over for you. In fact, the more seriously and obsessively both movies take their religious doctrines, the sillier they look. 'Tell me your name!' shouts would-be exorcist Michael Kovak repeatedly at the demon inhabiting Anthony Hopkins' character. 'Dave! Jeff! Sid Vicious! Punkinpuss!' one shouts back at the movie. Then there's the director's apparent belief that slapping a 'dungeon echo' soundtrack sound effect on everything from doors closing to people opening their eyes equals 'scary'. Question: How is a roomful of small frogs 'demonic'? Answer: I don't know; I was laughing too much at Muffin the Satanic Mule (yes, there's actually a satanic mule) to think straight. And the ultimate question as to why a demon might want to make its possess-ee swear, argue, crack their knuckles and contort their limbs (and how this activity might further the cause of Satan) is never addressed, much less how Biblical 'free will' might work with unwilling demonic possession. Kovak the conflicted 'atheist priest' is (surprise, surprise) a weak and insipid character, whilst the hardcore religious stuff is corny and embarrassing enough to have both believers and skeptics face-palming in unison. Throw in a couple of those cheap pop-up 'scares' (like a cat at a window. Argh! A cat at a window! Be still my beating heart!), and you have a lazy, stupid movie which wouldn't give a ten-year-old the heebie-jeebies. Acting-wise, Anthony Hopkins isn't too bad (when he's not pointlessly covered in 'scar' makeup and ranting hammily), but then any acting is wasted in a movie where the goings-on are so ridiculous. Neither scary nor profound, 'The Rite' is patronising and insulting to its audience, whether you're a firm believer or not. If you must rent it, then treat it like a comedy and that way you won't feel like your money was spirited away.

Inspired by true events story that is interesting but not exciting

[hyprsleepy · 31 January 2011]

While I was always waiting to see what happened next and interested in how the good guys would overcome the challenges they faced I felt completely detached from the main character, Michael Kovak. I don't need to like the main character but I still need to connect. Unfortunately, Michael was very emotionally inaccessible and therefore I never really cared for him.

On a positive note, Anthony Hopkins had a very good performance and the little field trips that he took the "doubter" on were some of the best parts of the movie. I loved how Kovak hung on to his doubt even when faced with an example of the possessed knowing the unknowable. The pacing was slow and gradually ratcheted up the tension as it went along. For some this may be boring but I was comfortable with it as it made the events unfolding feel natural instead of forced or rushed.

Overall, it was an alright movie that could have been great but just wasn't.

Well acted, slightly predictable

[pugliese_jennifer · 7/10 · 19 June 2019]

I enjoyed this movie, but was able to predict every single plot "twist." Anthony Hopkins was amazing per usual and Colin Odonaghue is easy to watch for sure! Overall it was well made and based on a true story, which makes it more interesting.

Good but too linear

[gamerz-18042 · 7/10 · 6 November 2020]

The acting is nice. However it's all too linear and lacks any true horror.

It strays in between realism and horror, but excelling at neither. Anthony was great.

A good watch but ultimately missed the mark without a strong plot or force to tell the story.

overall not too bad

[jaisonjthomas · 7/10 · 29 April 2011]

I thought the movie was pretty good in terms of building of the character. Anthony Hopkins did an amazing job. Too bad that Maria Cucinotta wasn't used more. She is drop dead gorgeous and a model and should have played a bigger role, perhaps as a temptress to Michael. She had basically a cameo role, that's it. Anthony even hinted that Michael could stay in the kitchen with her and take the consequences, but nothing else was eluded by it....poor directing. Iwould have also liked more special effects and a scarier, creepier movie. Like stuff from Exorcist and The Circle, The Shutter,etc. If I was the Director, I would have done it completely different, now that I think about it. I would scare the hell out of people. :)

Demonic possessions are back in style...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 18 April 2011]

I must say that it is nice to finally have an exorcism movie available that is worth watching. There has been some really lousy exorcism movies on the market in the past, not to hang any movie out in particular, but nothing worth watching or mentioning. Then "The Rite" came along and rekindled the embers.

The story told in "The Rite" was compelling from the very beginning, with enough drama and suspense to keep you in the seat till the very end. And the story was helped along by believable characters with depths and personalities. The story in the movie is, briefly summarized, about Michael Kovak - a young American seminary student - who travels to Italy to learn the rites of exorcism. Here he experiences first hand the powers of demonic possessions and how to expel the unclean spirits.

"The Rite" has a rather good cast, most noteworthy is Anthony Hopkins (playing Father Lucas Trevant), of course. Hopkins's performance in "The Rite" is nothing less than extraordinary. He was the one who truly carried the movie and made it interesting. The role of Michael Kovak (played by Colin O'Donoghue) was good as well, and O'Donoghue did a good enough job. However, I could somehow see Christian Bale would be filling out the shoes better in this particular role. Anyway, it was also really good to see Rutger Hauer (playing Istvan Kovak) in this movie, despite him having a fairly small role. He always brings something unique to the movies he is in.

Now, "The Rite" isn't particularly scary in any way, but the story is dark and brooding, with just the right amount of thrills and suspense to it. A very good mix that served the movie so well. The story sinks in and sits with you for a long time after the movie ends, because it does stir up some thoughts and emotions.

The effects in the movie, though few were there, were working well. And I especially enjoyed the make-up on Hopkins in the latter half of the movie, that was brilliant. It looked genuinely disturbing and sinister. And his acting, of course, helped add to the gloomy situation.

As for the sound aspect of the movie, well they had a really good music score working for them. It was just subtle enough to be playing in the background and add to the effects and drama, but not so much that the music stole away the attention from the movie. And they had done a magnificent job on the work with the voices when the possessed were talking. Multiple layers of voices and pitches works so well. Thumbs up on the sounds in the movie.

"The Rite" is a movie that is well worth checking out, if not for anything else, then for the performance of Anthony Hopkins - he is in top gear in this movie. I found the movie to be rather good and it was a much needed breath of air to an otherwise stale exorcism niche of movies.

Deceptive Film of Exorcism

[claudio_carvalho · 4/10 · 4 June 2011]

The atheist American Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue) works as a mortician in the Funeral Home of his father Istvan Kovak (Rutger Hauer). Michael sees the chance to leave home as a seminary student in the Vatican, and he travels to Italy. After a period, Michael decides to quit due to his lack of faith, and tells Father Xavier (Ciarán Hinds) about his decision. However, Father Matthew (Toby Jones) tells him that he will be charged for the course and offers him to have an exorcism training, where he meets the journalist Angelina Vargas (Alice Braga).

When Michael meets the exorcist Father Lucas Trevant (Anthony Hopkins), he witnesses his unsuccessful attempt to exorcize the pregnant Italian girl Rosaria (Marta Gastini). Then Michael experiences weird events including the death of his father. When Father Lucas is possessed, Michael has a test of his faith trying to help his mentor.

"The Rite" is a deceptive film of exorcism and despite the reference that the story is based on true event, it is boring and uninteresting. The acting of the lead actor is awful, and Colin O'Donoghue has a wooden performance keeping his insipid and emotionless face along the film. Anthony Hopkins is absolutely histrionic, overacting in many moments. The unknown Italian Marta Gastini and the Brazilian Alice Braga have good performances and save the film in minor roles. The possession seems to be transmitted like influenza and this film seems to source of inspiration to viewers that write supporting reviews in IMDb for the first time. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "O Ritual" ("The Rite")

Colin O'Donoghue too underwhelming in this

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 3 September 2013]

Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue) is an American seminary student who travels to Italy to learn exorcism from Father Lucas Trevant (the Great Anthony Hopkins).

It takes a more realistic spin of exorcism. By discussing it as a real thing inside the church, it creates a more powerful foundation to build on than your average slasher horror. But it never really raises the tension. Colin O'Donoghue is just too underwhelming in this. I don't know if it's because he pales in comparison to Anthony Hopkins. Or if it's the clean-shaved look, he has much more presence in 'Once Upon a Time' as Hook.

I was bored to tears.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 5/10 · 22 April 2019]

I will watch anything that has the magical Anthony Hopkins in, and he doesn't disappoint in The Rite, he is as charismatic and commanding as always.

The trouble is, that the film is unbelievably tedious, despite a few shocks, and the odd grizzly moment, I genuinely had to fight to stay awake.

It was trying to depict the role of the church in the present day, whilst delving into the subject or exorcism, which has surely been done way too many times.

Nice to see Hopkins using his Welsh accent, watch it for him, but just don't expect to be wowed.

A disappointing 5/10

The Rite saves the dying exorcism sub-genres

[yawar_hameed_jan · 9/10 · 21 May 2011]

After losing faith in the exorcism sub-genres and my sister telling me how average this movie was, i didn't expect much from The Rite. Honestly, the only reason i watched it was because of Anthony Hopkins, and i am glad i did. This movie has everything that fans want in an exorcism movie. Some people may find it a bit slow paced but the movie does not steer off course, every minute is relevant to the storyline.

Even in his 70's, Mr Hopkins did just what was expected from him. He gave a powerful performance which scared the living hell out of me and played his most convincing role since Hannibal Lector but surprisingly so did someone else, someone who i had never heard of. Yes, i am talking about Colin O'Donoghue, who managed to stay in the light and make a great connection with his co-stars. Every character in the movie was fully utilized specially that of Alice Braga.

I find that many people fail to see the spark in this film, and the only reason i can think of is that people these days are too fond of gore which this movie lacks. Surely, The Rite is not for the "Doubters" but for the people who believe and have interest in this subject.

After decades of miserable exorcism movies, finally we got us a winner. Can i dare say that this movie is better than The Exorcist?, No i cant but this is definitely the "Second Best" ..

Now i can confidently say that "you were wrong big sister".

With solid performances, amazing cinematography and mind blowing sound effects, i give it a 9/10.

It's all relative........and I wasn't too impressed

[IheartCali5882 · 6/10 · 31 January 2011]

Is this better than the majority of horror movies that have been released in the past several years? Yes I think so. But is it on par with something I'd expect from Anthony Hopkins? Absolutely not. I'm convinced that in his advanced years he's taking roles for the fun of it, roles that allow him to indulge. He's already gotten all the acclaim and recognition any one actor can hope to have. I doubt he needs the money, so I'm thinking his decision to play the part of Father Lucas in this film is based simply on the fact that it sounded fun. . Even though I was secretly thinking that his role of Dr. Lecter would have easily fit here and been appropriate. It was insidious and intense. Just what this film needed.

The first two acts are done well, and I was prepared to give it a 7. I was wholeheartedly anticipating the inevitable climax which I knew was coming from the previews, but I was severely disappointed. Up until that point, the movie was sophisticated and smart. However by the end, it had descended into a cheese fest like you wouldn't believe. All because of that terrible dialogue. It was just funny. I do mean literally funny; the audience started laughing. I hated to see such a phenomenal actor as Hopkins having to actually go through with that melodramatic fluff. I think if the writers toned it down a bit and opted for subtlety the outcome would have been many times better. It seems that every movie dealing with exorcism has to go The Exorcist route and try to drum up some profoundly shocking dialogue. That's a losing battle. The Exorcist is in a league of it's own. Don't try to beat it; do your own thing. That's why I appreciate Exorcism of Emily Rose. Now that was a rather good film. As it stands now, The Rite is still a capable film, but those last 20 minutes really don't do it for me. It was there that the whole thing took a nose dive.

6/10

Vatican Productions Inc,,,yawn yawn

[fnem69 · 1/10 · 17 April 2011]

reading some of the reviews, makes me wonder if we've been watching the same film...The film would feel much more at home at the pre-enlightenment period, or perhaps was it more of a long sigh for the happy days long gone - where the church could rule with absolute power, predicated on the perennial pillars of fear, guilt and abject surrender. How the non-believers would be variously burnt at the stake, drawn and quarter, stretched on the rack or subjected to the divine buoyancy trial to establish their faith. Alas,Those days where terror rules unchecked and unfettered are long since gone. Modern society requires more sublime and dare I say it artisitics methods of instilling fear and guilt in the believer and wobbler alike - believe or else....Notwithstanding the utterly propagandist message, as a piece of cinema it was tedious, laborious, unidimensional - not a patch on the Exorcist....