Summary
Although it isn’t perhaps quite as popular within the horror genre as it once was, and though it may have changed a great deal over the years, the idea of an exorcism is still as terrifying as ever. The sub-genre of demonic horror continues to bring great frights and thrills as movie makers continue to find ways to craft unique versions of possession stories.
Although some of the earliest exorcism-related movies aren’t as scary as they used to be, there are still plenty of great and terrifying films from decades pastand from more recent years. While exorcisms aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, they can be a great storytelling device and have made for some of the most fear-inducing scenes and moments in movie history.
8The Rite
When Someone Actually Looks For Exorcisms
Although it isn’t well-regarded by critics,The Ritewas a terrifying film which took a different spin at the exorcism genre. Instead of featuring somebody being haunted and later possessed by a demonic entity,The Ritefocused on an American travelling to Italy to learn more about exorcisms, while believing them to be fake.
What he finds, and what the audience sees, is absolutely petrifying.The Ritewas a great example of a twist on the traditional exorcist movie formula, and with Anthony Hopkins playing a veteran exorcist in another great horror film performance by him, there is a great rewatchable quality toThe Ritethat has kept it relevant in the genre years later.
7The Possession
A Box Of Terrors Unleashed Leaving You Gripping Your Seat
It isn’t often that a horror film is based on a news article, but an infamous post in the LA Times in 2004 about a Dybbuk was the inspiration forThe Possession. When a young girl finds and purchases a mysterious box from a garage sale, it begins to have odd effects and her father realizes that something terrifying has been unleashed from within.
While the exorcising of a Dybbuk back into its box isn’t considered the same as an exorcism, the similarities are such, as well as the hallmarks of the possession itself, thatThe Possessioncan be considered an exorcism film. Not only that, scenes like the opening of the box remain so terrifying thatThe Possessioncan’t be forgotten as a truly petrifying demonic feature thatfeels at times like a demonic horror game.
6Deliver Us From Evil
New York Cops Facing Off Against Demonic Mysteries
Although it wasn’t well reviewed,Deliver Us From Evilremains one of the more terrifying exorcism and demon horror movies released in the last decade. Eric Bana is a police officer investigating a spat of strange occurrences around New York which all appear linked to demonic occurrences.
Instead of children or a family moving into a new home,Deliver Us From Evilhas demons take aim at the entire world and cops finding themselves just as terrified as anyone would be in the face of such things. With constant jump scares and real threats,Deliver Us From Evilhas a tense atmosphere and all the other hallmarks of a truly terrifying experience. The thrilling final exorcism sequence put the cap on a film that spanned the length and breadth of a city and a mystery well worth unraveling for viewers.
5The Exorcism Of Emily Rose
Exorcisms Brought To Court Are Still Filled With Fear
Trying to put exorcisms and demonic attacks in a full world can be a challenge because it makes them feel less realistic, which is one of the reasons these events in films are often confined to a single building. However,The Exorcism Of Emily Roseboldly manages to terrify audiences while challenging everything about these frightful events in a court battle.
After a reverend performs a church-sanctioned exorcism on a woman, but she still dies, he is brought to court for negligent homicide. The court case is a framing story, while much of the runtime is the story of the exorcism being told through flashbacks which are petrifying and made all the scarier by the flashes of a much calmer story being told throughout the case.The Exorcism Of Emily Roseis an original concept and a terrifying filmworth exploring.
4The Wailing
A Remote Korean Village And Utter Terror
Although there are many different great foreign films about exorcisms and demons,The Wailingmay be the very best of them all. A police officer arrives in a remote village in South Korea where an outbreak has taken hold of the villagers, leaving them all possessed. Not only is this a far cry from the most common exorcism movie plots, but it might be a completely unique idea, bringing plot ideas from vampire or zombie films into a demonic realm.
A mystery involving the man, or entity, which began the plague and a race against time as the policeman’s own daughter begins to succumb to the possession makesThe Wailingan absolute masterpiece of the exorcism genre, and a terrifying, oppressive sort of feel permeates the entire runtime as many jumpy moments are backed up by an impending sense of doom for the entire village.
3The Exorcist
The Original Masterpiece Is Still A Worthy Scarer Today
It might not have been the first demonic horror movie, but it is often credited as thefirst film to feature an exorcism of a demon.The Exorcisthas been recreated by many, given several sequels, but never matched the terror it inspired in audiences at the time, watching a young girl slowly being overtaken by a demonic entity.
Regan, a young girl, exhibits increasingly worrying behavior to the dismay of her actress mother, while a priest having a crisis of faith begins to realize he may need to step in andhelp alongside a professional exorcist.The Exorcistdoesn’t retain every scary quality it had when it was released over fifty years ago, but it is still filled with fright, and an unnerving soundtrack, and it remains one of the best horror films of all time.
2The Last Exorcism
Found Footage Documentary-Style Demonic Terror
A reverend who has been conducting exorcisms for years attempts to prove that these operations are actually fake by having a documentary crew film him while he conducts what he has dubbed his last-ever exorcism. Found-footage horror has come and gone as a fad a few times over the years, but rarely does it deal with something such as an exorcism.
The Last Exorcismis a terrifying depiction of possessionthat features many spine-tingling jump scares and leaves viewers clenching their chairs by the final act. Unexpected at every turn and filled with all sorts of horrors,The Last Exorcismis an especially frightening ride that audiences will find themselves wanting to revisit, but uncertain if they can handle it all over again.
1The Conjuring
The Ultimate Story Of Demonic Terror
The story of the Warrens,real-life demonic investigators who worked for decadesaround the world, is a compelling one. The genius of having calmer moments, moments of charm, and normal family life which made fans feel connected both to the Warrens and the large Perron family, helped makeThe Conjuringarguably one of the best horror movies of all time.
Not only is the story incredible and the case compelling, but the cast across the board was genius, and mentions of other Warren cases, like the Annabelle doll, led immediately to a huge franchise of films from this one.The Conjuringsets rules for demons and sticks to them, it comes up with petrifying scenes like the clapping game and various nighttime jump scares, and it leaves a mark on viewers which helps it retain the sort of rewatchability most horror films can’t quite manage.The Conjuring’s exorcism scenes make a grand finale which leaves it atop the list of scariest, and maybe even the best, exorcism films ever.
