The horror genre is divided into numerous subgenres, and many movies put their own spin on themes fans have seen before. For example, there are dozens of haunted-house movies that cover everything from ghosts and ghouls to stories where the home itself is alive.
One of the most well-known horror tropes is, of course, demonic possession. The topic instills a unique type of fear because we rarely see the entity at all; instead, it can take the form of someone we perceive as harmless, and turn them into something truly terrifying.
In demonic possession movies, audiences can only observe what that possession does to its victims, and it’s often horrifying because their victims are often ordinary people. It’s a fear that the film industry has explored in great detail over the years, including some of the most respected horror movies of all time.
The theme is well-represented in the horror genre, but it didn’t really pick up steam until the 1970s. It was that decade that produced an all-time great entry into the subgenre and a movie that was foundational to its popularity – The Exorcist. Since then, demonic possession has becoming a recurring plot device, often showing up in movies that start out as – or at least appear to be – simple haunted house stories. 21st century horror movies has already delved into this trope quite a bit, adding much to the long list of demonic possession films that need to be watched with the lights on.
10
Nefarious (2023)
Nefarious tells a tense, oddly relatable story about demonic possession and how it might display itself in the real world. The movie stars Jordan Belfi as Dr James Martin. He’s a psychologist who must decide the fate of an inmate on death row.
That prisoner is Edward Brady, played by Sean Patrick Flanery. The issue for Dr. Martin is that Brady claims he’s possessed by a demon named Nefarious. The psychologist must decide whether his client is mentally fit for the death penalty through numerous intense exchanges in the prison, or if the whole scenario is an elaborate ruse.
Nefarious is lighter on scares than many movies on this list. Nevertheless, it’s easy to put yourself in Dr Martin’s shoes and wonder if you would reach the same conclusions. The consequence of making the wrong diagnosis is sentencing an innocent man to death.
9
The Devil Inside (2012)
The Devil Inside is a terrifying found-footage movie about exorcisms and the dangers they pose to both the subjects and the priests. Fernanda Andrade is Isabella Rossi, who wishes to learn more about exorcisms after her mother, Maria (Suzan Crowley), is admitted to a psychiatric ward.
The movie tells a straightforward exorcism story, though it introduces audiences to the idea of ‘transference,’ where a demon can switch hosts under the right circumstances. The found footage POV makes the audience feel like they are there, so many of the scares feel personal.
Fans of the genre may recall that The Devil Inside is somewhat infamous for its ending. Some audiences would argue that it spoils the entire movie, though the scares are still strong enough to earn it a place on the list.
8
Deliver Us From Evil (2014)
Deliver Us from Evil is a supernatural horror movie combined with a gritty cop thriller. The movie stars Eric Bana as Sarchie. He’s a veteran detective and struggles to maintain a life with his family alongside his challenging job.
Sarchie is investigating a series of bizarre, brutal cases across New York City, but soon realizes that they don’t make complete sense. He is reluctant to believe in the supernatural, but joins forces with a priest, Father Mendoza (Edgar Ramírez), who convinces him there may be more to those cases than meets the eye.
Deliver Us from Evil has plenty of scary moments and an unforgettable climax, which I won’t spoil here. The movie is more action-oriented than many on this list, so it’s a good choice if you prefer fast-paced thrillers over slow-burning stories.
7
The Pope’s Exorcist (2023)
The Pope’s Exorcist is a supernatural horror movie starring Russell Crowe as Father Gabriel Amorth. He’s a devout priest and the Vatican’s leading exorcist, who answers only to the Pope himself.
Father Amorth makes headlines for a particularly public case, though the Pope still sends him to help a group in Spain. A family inherited a house, and supernatural forces appear to focus on a young boy, Henry (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney).
The Pope’s Exorcist is memorable thanks to Crowe’s portrayal of the exorcist. He’s calm and experienced, but the demon is powerful and cunning, forcing Father Amorth to take drastic measures. The movie is full of superb, high-budget scares, and the story is loosely based on a real person.
6
The Dark And The Wicked (2020)
The Dark and the Wicked is an unsettling possession movie where the locale makes the title far scarier. The film is set in a secluded farmhouse and tells a bleak, slow-burning tale about a family grieving for a dying man.
Two siblings, Louise (Marin Ireland) and Michael (Michael Abbott Jr.), return to their family home in Texas after their father becomes ill. It’s immediately apparent that something is wrong with the farmhouse, and unexplainable occurrences only escalate during their stay. The mother, played by Julie Oliver-Touchstone, is also clearly a victim, though she cannot convey what is happening.
If you enjoy slow-burning psychological horror movies, The Dark and the Wicked is among the best on this list. The title is full of intense scares, but the brooding dread is just as effective at making the film stick with you after the credits roll.
5
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
The Evil Dead franchise has gone from strength to strength, from its classics full of dark humor to its gritty modern movies. Evil Dead Rise is arguably the scariest of them all, telling a chilling possession story in a dingy apartment complex.
We meet Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland), who lives in a small flat with her kids. Her sister, Beth (Lily Sullivan), visits the building, but an ancient evil is unleashed, threatening to tear the family apart. If you’ve watched the previous Evil Dead movies, you’ll already be familiar with some of the overarching lore, though Rise fully commits to horror with some particularly graphic scenes.
Evil Dead Rise is easily one of the goriest movies on the list. The franchise has never shied away from blood and shocking imagery, and Rise excels in both departments. The 2023 film is well-paced and terrifying with high-budget scares.
4
Hereditary (2018)
Hereditary is a disturbing horror film that follows a fractured family stricken with grief. It’s a grim tale, full of supernatural scares, with shady forces at work pulling the strings from afar.
The story has many moving parts with believable heavy moments thanks to the stellar cast. Annie (Toni Collette) is dealing with unbearable trauma and turns to a new friend and the supernatural for help. Events take a dark turn shortly after when the son, Peter (Alex Wolff), believes he is under attack from something paranormal.
Hereditary is a surprisingly bleak film with a dysfunctional family at its core. The family dynamic grounds the movie, and the possession story feels more real when the protagonists don’t simply have access to a priest experienced in the occult.
3
The Taking Of Deborah Logan (2014)
The Taking of Deborah Logan is an intense, frightening movie with a clever concept brought to life by an exceptional cast. Jill Larson is Deborah Logan. She’s battling Alzheimer’s and allows a young film crew to document her journey and worsening condition.
The team discovers that Deborah is sleepwalking and sets up cameras around the house to monitor her movements. They soon realize that her nocturnal activities are bizarre and unpredictable. The burning question then becomes, if Deborah isn’t suffering from Alzheimer’s, what is happening to her?
The Taking of Deborah Logan is especially scary because it’s shot with a found-footage POV. The lingering camera angles make many scenes in the movie extraordinarily tense as the film crew realizes they may be unequipped for the job.
2
The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (2005)
The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a beloved title in the exorcism-horror subgenre. It tells a story that’s part supernatural horror, part courtroom drama, with a unique spin on possession, loosely based on real-life events.
The movie stars Tom Wilkinson as Father Moore. He’s a priest who can perform exorcisms, though he finds himself in trouble with the law after a ritual goes terribly wrong. Erin Bruner also stars as Laura Linney, a skeptical defense attorney whose beliefs are challenged as the case goes on.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose tells much of its story through flashbacks alongside court exchanges. It’s a remarkable framing for an exorcism story, inviting the audience to serve as the jury and decide whether the evidence points to the supernatural. It also poses questions about exorcisms that many similar movies do not explore.
1
The Exorcist (1973)
Fans of horror or demonic possession movies likely saw this coming, but The Exorcist is a classic in the genre with disturbing scenes and horrifying imagery that still holds up today. It’s arguably required watching if you’re a fan of the genre, more than 50 years later.
The plot of The Exorcist is relatively straightforward. Regan (Linda Blair) is possessed, and two priests arrive to attempt an exorcism. Much of the movie takes place in Regan’s bedroom as a mighty battle of good vs. evil unfolds. The confrontation occurs on two fronts. There’s a clear battle of wills, but the priests also have to consider Regan’s physical condition and the potentially deadly consequences should something go wrong.
Many aspects of The Exorcist still hold up because the movie relied on practical effects. CGI was in its infancy in the 70s, and the effects give the film a timeless aesthetic. It’s a remarkable movie in so many aspects and a pioneer in the genre.