If you take a look at the trailer for Exorcist Vengeance, you’ll notice something. The main actor in the film, Robert Bronzi, looks exactly like Charles Bronson. Not just a little, like exactly like him. It’s that thread that drew me to Exorcist Vengeance in the first place. After all, who doesn’t want to see a Hungarian actor that looks exactly like Bronson? So after the allure of that selling point wore off, Exorcist Vengeance was off. For a low-budget horror flick, Exorcist Vengeance isn’t bad. It’s not exceptional, but it does some things very well, budget, and effects considered.

It’s directed by Scott Jeffrey and Rebecca J Matthews. Matthew B.C. and Jeff Miller wrote the film. It stars Robert Bronzi, Steven Berkoff (Beverly Hills Cop, Rambo: First Blood Part II), Nicola Wright, Sarah Alexandra Marks, Nicole Nabi, and Simon Furness. Father Jozsef (Bronzi) is a priest who specializes in exorcisms, a family needs his help as their grandmother is possessed. That possession spreads to other family members, so Father Jozsef and the family lock themselves in to fight the demons. It’s a simple story that has some winding paths and a twist at the end. The tagline of “Death Wish meets The Exorcist meets Knives Out” might sound outrageous at first, but it does have a little bit of all three of those films. The mystery could have been turned up a bit more, but other than that, it’s interesting enough to keep you watching.

The Performances Are Mixed, But The Effects Get The Job Done

Robert Bronzi in Exorcist Vengeance

Some of the performances are better than others. Robert Bronzi chews up the scenes he’s in. I was surprised, because he does have a thick accent, but you can generally understand everything he’s saying. Sarah Alexandra Marks’ turn as Rebecca is sort of the assistant to Father Jozsef. She’s the one in the family that believes in what Jozsef is doing when everyone else turns their back on him. Steven Berkoff isn’t in the film for very long and his character is sort of a mentor, sort of a rival, sort of a friend to Jozsef. It’s not explained very well, and I wasn’t sure why Bishop Canelo (Berkoff) was in the film besides providing the information about why Jozsef is in the place he’s in.

Jozsef has a troubled past that includes drug dealing, his spouse dying, and more. it’s the reason why he’s turned to the Priesthood and the Lord in his life. The backstory is nice and all, but we all know why we’re here. To see him kick some demon ass. Is there a whole lot of ass-kicking in this film? No. That’s really where the Death Wish comparison comes in. Death Wish seems like it should be more action-packed and full of violence based on the sequels. What you get with that film is a lot like Exorcist Vengeance. You’re brought in by the promise of kicking ass, but you get a slow burn that builds up to a climax.

Sadly, the most ass-kicking you get is in the first 5 minutes of the film. From then on, it’s a tale of loss, regret, family drama, and some supernatural.

For A Lower Budget, The Effects Are Not Horrific

The creature effects are pretty damn good. Most lower-budget flicks these days have to use CGI for blood and other effects because it’s more cost-effective. Here, you get a mix of both. There are practical effects for some blood loss and most demonic possessions are practical. The only time you get a real CG mess is when the demon is passing between people’s bodies. Having worked on some lower-budget affair, I’ve seen worse CG before, so it’s not too much to take away from the film. Besides the obvious suggestion to use practical effects for everything, this is a nice medium.

The Plot Is A Bit Unclear When It’s Unveiled, But Somehow Exorcist Vengeance Works

The motivation for the ultimate reveal at the end of the film is somewhat unclear. It’s explained quickly and doesn’t quite land right on the audience. It’s about family drama and other motivations, which is a decent motivating factor for committing crimes against God, but the character at the end of the film has multiple motivations that aren’t explained well.

I had plenty of fun watching Exorcist Vengeance. Somehow watching someone do their best Charles Bronson is entertaining, and Bronzi goes past the “parody” point of it. I was expecting this movie to be craptastic, but what it ended up being was something that was dare I say, good.

The movie ends and sets up a sequel with Father Jozsef going on another exorcism adventure. Here’s hoping that Exorcist Vengeance goes the Death Wish route and turns into Bronzi kicking more demon ass than ever before.

Exorcist Vengeance releases on Digital and DVD on February 8th, 2022.

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