Warning: This article discusses depictions of violence.
Russell Crowe is a versatile actor who stars in movies of varying genres, but many don’t realize he is in four different horror movies. Russell Crowe’s best movies include the likes of Les Misérables, Gladiator, and L.A. Confidential, all of which see him portray a range of unique characters. Since his beginnings in New Zealand, Crowe has soared to international fame, and he is now one of the most prominent actors in the world.
There are plenty of things viewers need to know about Russell Crowe, but the most important is that his dip into the world of horror movies is a relatively recent thing. While the actor is known for providing gripping performances in hard-hitting dramas, some of the best biopic movies of all time, and hilarious comedies, Crowe doesn’t typically take on characters who are vicious and brutal. While some aren’t well-received and others are fantastic, it’s worth taking a look at Russell Crowe’s horror movies.
4
The Exorcism (2024)
Role: Anthony Miller
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The Exorcism isn’t exactly one of the most meta movies of all time, but it can be considered meta to some degree because of the context of the story. Crowe portrays Anthony Miller, an actor who suffers a mental breakdown while shooting a film in which he plays a priest. The fictional movie Miller is working on is supposed to resemble The Exorcist. There are some parallels in The Exorcism and The Exorcist’s stories, although it’s mainly because of the real priest conducting a ritual and Miller grieving for his dead wife.
The Exorcism is unfortunately one of Crowe’s lowest-rated movies. While the film has a lot of potential, Crowe is one of the few redeeming qualities of it. Reviews of The Exorcism praise Crowe for his performance in general, but especially in moments where Miller is possessed. The cinematography is pretty decent too, and it makes scenes like when Miller breaks his spine in the studio that much more eerie. Although Miller’s story, and Crowe’s depiction of it, is what keeps The Exorcism going, it loses momentum in the second half.
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The Exorcism
R
HorrorThriller
A troubled actor, Anthony Miller, portrayed by Russell Crowe, begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His daughter, Lee, played by Ryan Simpkins, suspects his erratic behavior might be due to his past addictions or something far more sinister. As the film progresses, the line between reality and the supernatural blurs, leading to a tense and chilling climax.
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Release Date
June 7, 2024
Runtime
93 Minutes
Cast
Russell Crowe
, Ryan Simpkins
, Chloe Bailey
, Sam Worthington
, Adam Goldberg
, David Hyde Pierce
Director
Joshua John Miller
, M.A. Fortin
Main Genre
Horror
Writers
Joshua John Miller
, M.A. Fortin
Studio(s)
MiraMax
, Outerbanks Entertainment
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The premise runs out of steam after a solid amount of time is spent on character development. Miller switching between being multiple demons and trying to attack his daughter and co-star quickly becomes unrealistic, and even though The Exorcism is a horror movie, it’s hard to take it seriously. The Exorcism’s ending falls flat, too. The final “battle” feels anticlimactic when after all that drama, Father Conor is killed rather than Miller, and there’s little explanation as to what happens next, other than Miller and Blake’s relationship slowly healing.
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While there are some good things about The Exorcism, the star-studded cast and strong story is simply poorly executed, which is disappointing. Although it subverts some horror tropes, The Exorcism feels half-finished at points. It’s likely that a big part of the criticism is also related to Crowe starring in The Exorcism and The Pope’s Exorcist one year apart, as many find his characters and the stories in both to be too similar.
3
The Mummy (2017)
Role: Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Edward Hyde
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While the 2017 reboot of The Mummy is technically labelled as a fantasy action-adventure, in reality, it’s more of a supernatural horror. Crowe portrays Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but what’s so strange about this is that the previous movies in The Mummy franchise don’t feature this split personality character. The pair are fictional literary characters, and although there are TV and movie adaptations of Jekyll and Hyde’s story, The Mummy isn’t one of them. While it’s a strange choice, Crowe isn’t terrible as Jekyll/Hyde.
Crowe doesn’t have a lot of screen time in The Mummy, and when he does appear, he provides a lot of exposition of the story. Despite this, audiences typically find his performance to be comical, although this is mainly because of the overall poor quality of the dialogue throughout the film. Many also consider Crowe’s portrayal to be weak and that the actor is essentially recounting his lines, rather than actually playing a character, although this opinion is generally divided.
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The Mummy
PG-13
FantasyThrillerActionAdventureHorror
The Mummy (2017) follows the awakening of an ancient queen entombed beneath the desert, unleashing malevolent forces in the modern world. Starring Tom Cruise, the film explores themes of destiny and darkness as unfathomable terrors resurface, challenging contemporary protagonists to confront the past and unimaginable threats.
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Release Date
June 6, 2017
Runtime
110 minutes
Cast
Tom Cruise
, Annabelle Wallis
, Sofia Boutella
, Jake Johnson
, Courtney B. Vance
, Russell Crowe
, Marwan Kenzari
, Neil Maskell
, Javier Botet
, Andrew Brooke
, Selva Rasalingam
, Shanina Shaik
, Dylan Smith
, Hadrian Howard
, Rez Kempton
, Bella Ava Georgiou
, David Burnett
, Stephen Thompson
, James Arama
, Vera Chok
, Sean Cameron Michael
, Martin Bishop
, Simon Atherton
, Matthew Wilkas
, Sohm Kapila
Director
Alex Kurtzman
Writers
Christopher McQuarrie
, David Koepp
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There’s no doubt that Jekyll/Hyde is an intriguing addition. However, it’s disappointing that his limited screen time doesn’t amount to more. It’s strange that he reveals his intentions to let Set possess Nick’s body completely, which sets him up to be a possible secondary figure, yet at the end of The Mummy, he stands with Jenny as if nothing has happened. Annoyingly, The Mummy doesn’t explain the intricacies of the good and bad sides of Crowe’s character, which is a missed opportunity.
While Tom Cruise’s charisma and Crowe’s general screen presence may draw viewers in, it’s not enough to get them to fall in love with The Mummy. The main issue with the movie is the story, though. The Mummy’s plot makes little sense. The jump between action sequences and emotional moments are jarring, and the scary elements of the film aren’t really that scary, so it’s no surprise Universal canceled their Dark Universe series. Unfortunately, 2017’s The Mummy doesn’t do justice to Brendan Fraser’s version from the ‘90s and 2000s, or even the original from the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s.
2
Unhinged (2020)
Role: Tom Cooper / The Man
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Russell Crowe’s Unhinged is generally overlooked, but in recent years, it has gained more attention after arriving on streaming. Crowe plays Tom Cooper, who is credited as The Man, a total psychopath who sets his sights on destroying the life of a random woman one day. Cooper is completely deranged with no apparent motivation, other than the fact Rachel honks her horn at him for remaining stationary at a green light. While a villain having no realistic motive is typically a sign of bad storytelling, Unhinged pulls it off.
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There aren’t many plot twists or red herrings in Unhinged, just plain thrills and danger. Crowe is a compelling antagonist, and it’s hard to look away when he is on screen. He’s terrifying, and considering how unfortunately realistic, albeit over dramatized, this situation actually is, it makes Crowe even scarier. However, the character is a little one dimensional at times, and his actions are so over-the-top by the end of Unhinged, it breaks the illusion. Another thing that is notable about Crowe’s performance as Cooper is his facial expressions, and while his anger is petrifying, his face doesn’t often shift.
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9.4/10
Unhinged
R
ThrillerActionHorror
Unhinged is a thriller directed by Derrick Borte, featuring Russell Crowe as a man who becomes violently unhinged following a road rage incident. The film explores themes of escalating tension and personal safety as the protagonist, portrayed by Caren Pistorius, becomes the target of Crowe’s character’s wrath.
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Release Date
August 21, 2020
Runtime
90 Minutes
Cast
Russell Crowe
, Caren Pistorius
, Gabriel Bateman
, Jimmi Simpson
, Austin P. McKenzie
, Juliene Joyner
, Stephen Louis Grush
, Anne Leighton
, Michael Papajohn
, Lucy Faust
, Devyn A. Tyler
, Andrew Morgado
, Samantha Beaulieu
, Sylvia Grace Crim
, Gretchen Koerner
, Brett Smrz
, Deven MacNair
, Donna DuPlantier
, Michael Randall
, Gregory Hobson
, Richard Burden
, Tim Bell
, Calvin Williams
Director
Derrick Borte
Main Genre
Thriller
Writers
Carl Ellsworth
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Crowe is by far the best member of Unhinged’s cast, and while it’s technically a thriller, his performance definitely makes it a horror instead. Although Caren Pistorius provides a decent portrayal as Rachel, the character’s decision-making is terrible. Despite her attempts to get police help, it’s baffling that at no point does she think about driving to a nearby station, either so she can ensure her own safety or at least lead Cooper to them. Although Unhinged requires viewers to suspend their disbelief at times, it’s still an enjoyable and tense watch.
Because Cooper’s actions are so wild, it’s hard to know what he is going to do next, as the possibilities are endless.
Unhinged is fast-paced and quite unpredictable. Because Cooper’s actions are so wild, it’s hard to know what he is going to do next, as the possibilities are endless. The opening scene, in which Cooper brutally kills his ex-wife and her boyfriend before setting their house alight, is useless for the main narrative, but it also establishes just how erratic the character is, too. However, the film is only 90 minutes long, and it’s a shame to think about what else could have been included with a longer runtime.
1
The Pope’s Exorcist (2023)
Role: Father Gabriele Amorth
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The Pope’s Exorcist stands as Crowe’s best horror movie. Crowe plays Father Gabriele Armoth, the personal exorcist to the Pope, and the real-life figure who is the author of the books that the film is based on. Crowe’s portrayal of the character is generally positive, and he is frequently praised for his Italian accent and the delivery of his dialogue. The Pope’s Exorcist initially seems to be a standard exorcism movie, but the depth that Crowe brings to his character adds layers to the story.
The Pope’s Exorcist has a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 80%.
The narrative is pretty generic, but it’s executed well. Armoth is a developed and flawed character. He gets in trouble with the Church, has a solid sense of humor, and morals that sometimes contradict his beliefs. But under all of that, Armoth is someone who genuinely cares, and that trumps everything else about him. While the use of humor in The Pope’s Exorcist tends to leave viewers divided, there’s no doubt it’s a unique take on a deeply serious story. Crowe doesn’t play a typical priest, and without fail, Armoth improves every scene he appears in.
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10/10
The Pope’s Exorcist
R
HorrorThriller
The Pope’s Exorcist is a supernatural thriller directed by Julius Avery. The film stars Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s chief exorcist, who delves into a case involving a terrifying demonic possession. Based on the real-life experiences of Father Amorth, the movie explores themes of faith and the battle against dark forces.
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Release Date
April 5, 2023
Runtime
103 Minutes
Cast
Russell Crowe
, Daniel Zovatto
, Alex Essoe
, Franco Nero
, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney
Director
Julius Avery
Main Genre
Horror
Writers
Evan Spiliotopoulos
, Michael Petroni
Studio(s)
Screen Gems
, 2.0 Entertainment
, Loyola Productions
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Julius Avery’s direction is frequently celebrated, and although the mood is off in places, the film is generally fast-paced and creates a good sense of urgency. The exorcisms Father Armoth performs in The Pope’s Exorcist are intense and well-framed, too. Although they play into the stereotypical-ness of the story, it also highlights how strong Crowe’s rapport with Daniel Zovatto as Father Esquibel is. Not everything is factually correct, but considering The Pope’s Exorcist uses elements of true stories, especially details about the Spanish Inquisition, Avery does a great job of translating this to the screen.
The Pope’s Exorcist 2 is on the way, which proves just why the first installment is Russell Crowe’s best horror movie. The actor doesn’t typically star in scary or harrowing titles, and if anything, he’s better known for hard dramas or comedies. But his performance as Father Armoth opens doors, and it’s possible audiences will see him delve further into the world of horror in the future.
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Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe is an acclaimed New Zealand-born actor, best known for his versatile performances in films like Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, and The Insider. He won an Academy Award for Gladiator and is recognized for his intense, dynamic acting style, contributing significantly to modern cinema.