Review: ‘Triumph Over Evil: Battle of the Exorcists’

For nearly three decades, if your movie genre warranted a parody starring Leslie Nielsen, you could rest assured knowing it had secured a place in the public consciousness. So, in 1990, when the silver-haired spoof master donned pretend clerical garb to do battle with a diabolically dominated middle-aged Linda Blair in the comedy Repossessed, it’s safe to say that the demonically possessed had become as much of a recognizable horror movie trope as zombies, werewolves, vampires, and the like.

And therein lies a problem because, as opposed to all those other overly familiar celluloid nightmares, demonic possession happens to exist in real life.

That’s something the new documentary Triumph Over Evil: Battle of the Exorcists hopes to remind viewers of.

The first thing that may surprise viewers of Triumph Over Evil is that the film was made under the patronage of The International Association of Exorcists (AIE). The second thing that may surprise viewers is that there actually exists an organization called The International Association of Exorcists.

Established in 1994 by Italian exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth (the then chief exorcist of the Diocese of Rome) and French exorcist Father René Chenesseau, the group served initially as a forum for sharing experiences among a handful of priests who performed exorcisms. However, since its conception, membership has expanded to approximately 900 exorcists from 58 countries. The group was provisionally recognized by the Pontifical Council for the Laity in 2014, and finally granted definitive approval on October 1, 2025, by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life.

Now overseen by the Vatican, the AIE’s core mission is to train priests in the Rite of Exorcism as outlined in the Roman Ritual, foster prayer and discernment, and combat what members see as an ongoing rise in demonic activity.

Almost everyone interviewed in Triumph Over Evil is a practicing exorcist and member of AIE. By participating in this documentary, the varied priests hope to set the record straight on what demonic possession is and isn’t, how it’s determined if an exorcism is necessary, and what actually happens during the ritual as opposed to what Hollywood portrays.

Given the sensationalist way horror movies approach exorcism, one might be tempted to wish the documentary would jump right to that last topic, but the film wisely takes a while getting there. Instead, a good amount of time is spent discussing how those seeking exorcisms are meticulously diagnosed, with all possible medical or psychological reasons for their condition being ruled out before considering the ritual. Once it’s decided that demonic influence is at work, it must be determined what kind it is, as possession is not the only type of diabolic assault and an exorcism is not the only way the Church deals with such things.

But sometimes it is, and when that’s the case, the ritual rarely plays out like the movies tell us it does. To help viewers understand what goes on during an exorcism, the documentary provides dramatic recreations based on the testimonies of the priests who perform them. However, don’t go in expecting flashing lights, spinning heads, or people crawling across the ceiling. As the priests explain, while there is the occasional growling or the odd vomiting up of small items (watch the movie to find out what that’s about), for the most part there is simply a lot of prayer. In fact, with its noticeable lack of special effects, perhaps the most dramatic thing on display in the film is the sometimes over-exuberant line readings from the voice actors doing the English dubbing for the recreations.

As the documentary’s director Giovanni Ziberna says in an interview with Aleteia, “This film is not a film of fear. It’s not made to scare people. Rather, it’s a film that encourages them to reflect on their spiritual journey.”

Time and time again, the priests interviewed stress the reality of the situation, and repeatedly warn of the things we do to open ourselves to evil influences (including, ironically, an over-fascination with demons, possessions, and the movies about them). They do this not to frighten us, though, but to provide guidance, help us grow stronger in faith, and know when to call in help.

Overall, it makes for nice alternative viewing as the secularized version of All Hallows Eve kicks into high gear and the standard horror tropes fill up our screens.

Triumph Over Evil: Battle of the Exorcists runs worldwide on October 30, 2025.