Later, suffering from disorientation, she gets into a car accident and lands in the hospital in a months-long coma, attracting the interest of Iraq War veteran priest Father Lozano (Pena). While traveling home, a raven bursts through a bus window and attacks her hand, causing further damage. Her trouble begins when she slices her finger while cutting her birthday cake, leading to a quick trip to the hospital for stitches. We’re then introduced to Angela ( Olivia Taylor Dudley) - the name is presumably deliberately ironic - a seemingly normal 27-year-old woman with a loving father (Scott) and an attentive boyfriend ( John Patrick Amedori). Read More ‘Jurassic World 2’ Set for 2018 But frankly it leaves everything that came before feeling like a lightweight Exorcist knock-off.As the title suggests, the film begins with a Vatican priest ( Hounsou, apparently on hand to demonstrate that priests can be really, really hot) examining video footage of incidents of demonic possession, occasionally freeze-framing the action to spot images of the offending antichrist. It's a big, intriguing ending that's remarkably chilling. But the film ends just as everything builds up a real head of steam. Screenwriters Christopher Borrelli and Michael Martin ambitiously steer the film into a properly outrageous direction that's packed with implications and possibility. So it's a bit frustrating that the story's final act is such a change of pace. In Scott and Amedori, the film also has two characters the audience can sympathise with: the frightened tough guy and the quietly emotional nice guy. As the three priests, Pena, Andersson and Hounsou don't have much to do, but they add subtle details to their scenes.
Dudley gives Angela a strong personality that lingers even after the presence inside her starts to take over. As a result, the actors are able to flesh out their characters. This means that the film quietly unnerves the audience from the start, using CCTV footage and some enjoyably scary touches that add to the atmosphere. As it continues, the biblical and fantastical flourishes intriguingly fit into this context, while director Mark Neveldine delays tipping over into effects-based action until the final act. The screenplay cleverly weaves in news reports and current events to make everything that happens feel grounded in real life.
And when Bruun arrives in America to meet Angela in person, he's unnerved to discover that this might not be a demon: she could be the Antichrist. But things spiral far beyond Lozano's expertise, so he calls the Vatican for help. As her behaviour gets more erratic, she is assisted by Father Lozano ( Michael Pena), who takes a personal interest in her case. She has a happy life with her cute boyfriend Pete ( John Patrick Amedori) and tough-but-kind dad Roger ( Dougray Scott), but starts acting a bit strange whenever a raven is nearby. It contains files and lots of tapes of demonic possession, including scenes of 30-year-old Angela (Olivia Taylor Dudley).
IS THE VATICAN TAPES A TRUE STORY ARCHIVE
The title refers to a secret archive under the Vatican run by Cardinal Bruun ( Peter Andersson) and his assistant Imani ( Djimon Hounsou).
Even so, the plot builds slowly, finally reaching its most intriguing twist right at the very end, so the credits start rolling just as things get properly riveting. Not only is it packed with demonic mayhem, but the complex characters make the drama much punchier, setting up the audience for several big jolts. With its above-average cast and a gritty, realistic tone, this exorcism thriller is a lot more involving than most.