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The Vatican Tapes

31 July 2015English1h 31m
4.0
from 5 scored reviews · 1 not rated

Weighted from a 3.4 average · Why?

What critics are saying

Critical reception for The Vatican Tapes is largely negative, with most reviewers finding it a stale and uninspired entry in the exorcism horror genre.

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In a highly secured vault deep within the walls of Vatican City, the Catholic Church holds thousands of old films and video footage documenting exorcisms/supposed exorcisms and other unexplained religious phenomena they feel the world is not ready to see. This is the first tape - Case 83-G - stolen from these archives and exposed to the public by an anonymous source.

Critic Consensus

Critical reception for The Vatican Tapes is largely negative, with most reviewers finding it a stale and uninspired entry in the exorcism horror genre. The film's final act and its allegorical twist received modest praise from a couple of critics as a relative bright spot. Common criticisms include underdeveloped, emotionally disconnected characters, a clichéd plot, and a failure to capitalise on the intensity of its subject matter. The exorcism sequences themselves were seen as underwhelming rather than frightening.

5 rated reviews · 1 mixed · 4 negative

Praised: Intriguing allegorical final actCriticised: Clichéd plot, weak characters

AI-generated summary of 6 critic reviews · may contain errors

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Critic Reviews (6)

Updated
Mihir FadnavisTop Critic· Mid-Day
2.0
“It's a shame that this is the golden age of horror films, yet most of the products coming from the industry are so cheap and stale. Even if you're looking for a timepass date movie, 'The Vatican Tapes' fails to deliver. The only respite is that it is not found footage.”
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Reagan Gavin Rasquinha· Times Of India
5.0
“...while there are a few appropriately scary scenes, the overall feeling is that Neveldine could have served up far more terrifying film if he'd pushed the envelope more, given the intense subject matter.”
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IE Reviewer· Indian Express
4.0
“The exorcism itself, where we might expect to get our money's worth, is an almost amusing mix of the bizarre and the banal. In a room much too crowded with defenceless witnesses, a stern cardinal from the Vatican talks the holy trinity, sprinkles the holy water, wields the holy dagger, and extracts some wholesome eggs.”
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Sachin Chatte· The Navhind Times
3.0
“Forget exorcism, the devil will give up if he is forced to sit through such films.”
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IANS· Zee News
3.0
“The performances are perfunctory and the characters do not touch you emotionally. You don't connect with them at all. With moderate production quality, the found footage technique is acceptable. While the conclusion of the film isn't original by any stretch of the imagination, for a film of this genre, this twist is intriguing and elevates the end on an allegorical note.”
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Tanaya Ramyani· BookMyShow
Not rated
“If you enjoy horror films, The Vatican Tapes can be what you watch this weekend. Even though the film treads along a very cliched plot, the final act is really good. If you need a break from romantic films, Vatican Tapes will amuse you.”
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Cast & Crew

Details

Release Date
31 July 2015
Runtime
1h 31m
Language
English

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