Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

The Vatican Tapes

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Demon-possession horror film is dull, despite shock ending.

Movie PG-13 2015 91 minutes
The Vatican Tapes Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 15+

Based on 1 parent review

Doublebubble53
Doublebubble53 Adult
October 27, 2018
age 15+

Yawn!

90 percent of the actors were horrible at acting. The Cardinal, played by Peter Andersson, was great. As well as Djimon Hounsou. Olivia "The Dud" Dudley, was unbelievable, John Patrick Amedori was just as terrible. So, the moral of my review is, don't waste you time on this bad movie. Take a nap instead.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Angela (Olivia Dudley) is an ordinary girl with a loving boyfriend (John Patrick Amedori) and a loving dad (Dougray Scott). When they throw her a surprise birthday party, she couldn't be happier -- until she cuts her hand with the cake knife and has to go to the hospital for stitches. After the incident, she starts acting strangely, and unusual, frightening things happen around her. A crow smashes through a bus window and pecks at her wound. She deliberately crashes a car. In the hospital, other patients become frighteningly violent. Friendly priest Father Lozano (Michael Pena) begins to suspect that demonic forces are at work, and a cardinal (Peter Andersson) from the Vatican arrives to perform an exorcism. But no one can possibly suspect the monster's true identity.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Director Mark Neveldine is known for his loony, kinetic cult movies, but this film, despite its shock ending, can't quite get past the limitations of a genre that peaked with The Exorcist (1973). THE VATICAN TAPES begins with the idea that the Vatican has recorded proof of dozens of possessions, but then settles in on a rather dull example.

Aside from the usual plot mechanics, Neveldine -- working for the first time without his creative partner, Brian Taylor -- throws in a few small, new ideas (like eggs appearing in the victim's mouth), but his usual, enthusiastic style is gone, replaced by a static, grayish approach. The actors appear equally stuck. Poor Dougray Scott, especially, can only repeat the same exasperated lines over and over again, though Pena brings the movie a down-to-earth quality. The ending actually is unexpected, and may win over some horror fans, but the path to get there is sadly worn out.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about The Vatican Tapes' violence. What does the movie show/not show? How does it use violence to tell its story? Do you think all of it is necessary to the storytelling? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of this subgenre (demon possession) of horror films? How does it compare to other demon possession films?

  • According to the movie, what does it mean to worship a false idol? Does that happen in everyday life? If so, how?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate