The Vatican Tapes

this hodgepodge of exorcism and possession clichés... flirt[s] uncomfortably with justifying clerical abuses as just a part of the Church's endless battle against Satan.

A routine regurgitation of demonology's familiar myths and legends: needless to say, possession is nine tenths of the lore.

In terms of characterisation and plotting, the film is utterly absurd, but taken as a fairground ride for the ghoulishly inclined, it just about passes muster.

The Vatican Tapes has presumably been released with Hallowe'en scares in mind, but the movie only induces hilarity, with some of the daftest exorcism scenes you'll see.

Everyone is working from diabolically thin material: concerned dad Dougray Scott utters a dozen variants of "I don't understand this!"

Just as it seemed like the exorcism subgenre was on the verge of a renaissance after The Conjuring, here is the cold shower we've secretly been afraid of all this time.

The Vatican Tapes isn't exactly ground-breaking... but it's a solid, well-written, well-performed, and surprisingly original addition to the over-populated parnanomal/demonic possession/exorcism-themed pantheon.

Some of the special effects are cool, but they don't compensate for the surrounding lack of drive.

If you can manage to keep yourself awake throughout the whole thing then you deserve a medal.

Here is a prime slice of the juiciest ham just in time for Halloween.