The scariest exorcism films

Key points

• Exorcism films still evoke terror despite the changing trends of horror.
• Unique twists in exorcism tales, like “The Rite,” provide refreshing scares.
• Films like “The Conjuring” masterfully blend fear with compelling storytelling.

While it may not be as popular as it once was in the horror genre, and while it may have changed a lot over the years, the idea of ​​an exorcism is still as terrifying as ever. The demonic horror subgenre continues to deliver great fears and thrills as filmmakers continue to find ways to create unique takes on possession stories.

While some of the early exorcism-related films aren't as scary as they once were, there are still many great and terrifying films from decades past and more recent years. While exorcisms aren't everyone's cup of tea, they can be a great storytelling tool and have created some of the scariest scenes and moments in cinematic history.

8 The ritual

When someone actually tries exorcisms

• Release: January 28, 2011
• Starring: Colin O'Donoghue, Anthony Hopkins and Ciaran Hinds
• Directed by: Ole Bornedal
• Rotten Tomatoes Critical Score: 22%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 40%

Even if it is not well received by critics, The ritual was a terrifying film that put a different spin on the exorcism genre. Instead of showing someone being haunted and then possessed by a demonic entity, The ritual centered on an American traveling to Italy to learn more about exorcisms, believing them to be fake.

What he finds and what the audience sees is absolutely petrifying. The ritual was a great example of a twist on the traditional exorcist movie formula, and with Anthony Hopkins playing a veteran exorcist in another great horror movie performance, there's a great quality to it to rewatch. The ritual this kept him relevant in the genre years later.

7 Possession

A box of terrors unleashed that leaves you riveted to your seat

• Release: August 30, 2012
• Starring: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick and Madison Davenport
• Directed by: Ole Bornedal
• Rotten Tomatoes Critical Score: 39%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 48%

It's not often that a horror film is based on a newspaper article, but an infamous post in the LA Times in 2004 about a Dybbuk was the inspiration for Possession. When a young girl finds and purchases a mysterious box from a garage sale, it begins to have strange effects and her father realizes that something terrifying has been unleashed from within.

While the exorcism of a Dybbuk in its box is not considered the same as an exorcism, the similarities are such, as are the hallmarks of possession itself, that Possession it can be considered a film about exorcism. Not only that, scenes like the opening of the box remain so terrifying Possession can't be forgotten as a truly petrifying demonic feature that sometimes feels like a demonic horror game.

6 Deliver us from evil

New York cops face demonic mysteries

• Release: July 2, 2014
• Starring: Eric Bana, Edgar Ramirez and Olivia Munn
• Directed by: Scott Derrickson
• Rotten Tomatoes Critical Score: 30%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 42%

Even though it wasn't well reviewed, Deliver us from evil remains one of the most terrifying exorcism and demon horror films to come out in the last decade. Eric Bana is a police officer investigating a series of strange events around New York that all seem to be connected to demonic occurrences.

Instead of children or families moving to a new home, Deliver us from evil demons target the entire world and the cops find themselves as terrified as anyone would be when faced with such things. With constant scares and real threats, Deliver us from evil it has a tense atmosphere and all the other hallmarks of a truly terrifying experience. The thrilling final exorcism sequence capped off a film that spanned the length and breadth of a city and a mystery worth unraveling for viewers.

5 The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Exorcisms brought to court are still scary

• Released: September 9, 2005
• Starring: Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson and Campbell Scott
• Directed by: Scott Derrickson
• Rotten Tomatoes Critical Score: 45%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 60%

Trying to fit exorcisms and demonic attacks into a complete world can be a challenge because it makes them seem less realistic, which is one reason why these events in films are often confined to a single building. However, The Exorcism of Emily Rose he bravely manages to terrify audiences as he challenges everything about these frightening events in a courtroom battle.

After a reverend performs a church-sanctioned exorcism on a woman, but she dies anyway, he is taken to court for manslaughter. The court case is a framed story, while much of the running time is the exorcism story told through flashbacks that are petrifying and made even scarier by flashes of a much calmer story told throughout the case. The Exorcism of Emily Rose it's an original concept and a terrifying film worth exploring.

4 The Lament

A remote Korean village and total terror

• Release: May 12, 2016
• Protagonists: Kwak Do-Won, Hwang Jun-Min and Chun Woo-Hee
• Directed by: Na Hong-Jin
• Rotten Tomatoes Critical Score: 99%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 81%

Although there are many great foreign films about exorcisms and demons, The Lament it might be the best of all. A police officer arrives in a remote village in South Korea where an epidemic has struck the inhabitants, leaving them all possessed. Not only is it very different from the more common plots of exorcism films, but it could be a completely unique idea, taking the plot ideas of vampire or zombie films into a demonic realm.

A mystery involving the man, or entity, who started the plague and a race against time as the policeman's daughter begins to succumb to possession makes The Lament an absolute masterpiece of the exorcism genre, and a sort of terrifying, oppressive feeling permeates the entire runtime as many nervous moments are underpinned by an impending sense of doom for the entire village.

3 The exorcist

The original masterpiece is still a worthy scare today

• Released: December 26, 1973
• Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow and Linda Blair
• Directed by: William Friedkin
• Rotten Tomatoes Critical Score: 78%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 87%

It may not have been the first demonic horror film, but it is often considered the first film to feature the exorcism of a demon. The exorcist has been recreated by many, with several sequels, but has never matched the terror it inspired in audiences of the time, watching a young girl be slowly overtaken by a demonic entity.

Regan, a young girl, exhibits increasingly troubling behavior to the dismay of her actress mother, while a priest experiencing a crisis of faith begins to realize that he and a professional exorcist may need to step in and help. The exorcist it doesn't retain all the scary qualities it had when it was released over fifty years ago, but it's still full of scares and a haunting soundtrack, and remains one of the best horror films of all time.

2 The last exorcism

• Release: August 27, 2010
• Starring: Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell and Iris Bahr
• Directed by: Daniel Stamm
• Rotten Tomatoes Critical Score: 71%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 35%

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 conducting what he calls his final exorcism. Found footage horror has come and gone as a fad a few times over the years, but rarely does it have to do with anything like an exorcism.

The last exorcism is a terrifying depiction of possession that features many spine-tingling scares and leaves viewers with their hands on their seats in the final act. Unexpected at every corner and full of all sorts of horrors, The last exorcism it's a particularly scary journey that audiences will find themselves wanting to revisit, but unsure if they can handle it again.

1 The evocation

The definitive story of demonic terror

• Release: July 19, 2013
• With: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga and Lili Taylor
• Directed by: James Wan
• Rotten Tomatoes Critical Score: 86%
• Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 83%

The story of the Warrens, real-life demonic investigators who worked for decades across the world, is a compelling one. The genius of having quieter moments, moments of charm, and a normal family life that made fans feel connected to both the Warrens and the larger Perron family helped make The evocation undoubtedly one of the best horror films of all time.

Not only is the story incredible and the case compelling, but the cast on every level was brilliant, and the references to other Warren cases, like the Annabelle doll, immediately led to a huge movie series out of this one. The evocation it sets the rules for the demons and sticks to them, features petrifying scenes like the clapping game and various late-night jump scares, and leaves a mark on viewers that helps it maintain the kind of rewatchability that most horror films fail to do. to manage. The evocationThe exorcism scenes make for a grand finale that places it at the top of the list of the scariest, and perhaps the best, exorcism films ever.