One of the most popular types of horror movies for many reasons, possession movies generally follow the same rules and tropes whether they’re fifty years old or new. A newly purchased house for a family to move into, an unfortunate discovery, and a spirit terrorizing and harassing said family, usually with terrifying and deadly consequences. Add in some spooky jumps and a weird, eccentric exorcist and you have a winning formula. Here are seven of the best possession movies the horror genre currently has to offer.
The Exorcist
Arguably the most famous possession film, The Exorcist It has the enviable title of being one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time, as well as featuring many of the trope-possession movies that follow to date.
After noticing that her daughter Regan is acting “strangely” speaking in tongues and in some cases levitating, she seeks help from the local priest, who enlists an exorcist to help exorcise the demon possessing her. Many infamous scenes follow, including the projectile vomiting one the film is best known for.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
A completely different take on the possession film subgenre, The Exorcism of Emily Rose mostly takes place in a courtroom, with the Exorciser Priest on trial for the wrongful death of Emily Rose. Throughout the film, the flashbacks give us the contortionist scares we’ve come to expect from a film of this ilk, but its different take is one of the main reasons it’s so beloved.
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Conspiracy
Based loosely on true stories throughout their lives, Conspiracy The franchise features Ed and Lorraine Warren, an American couple who specialize in hauntings, possessions, and more, and heavily adapts their own stories and interviews to the ever-expanding franchise we have now.
The first film in the franchise follows the couple as they try to help a family who, after buying and moving into a new home, finds it less of the American dream and more of an American nightmare. After finding a basement they were unaware of when buying, things go off the rails as ghostly events occur, before the mother of the family is possessed and attempts to murder the family.
Fighting spirit
Another famous possession film, Fighting spirit follows a family as they commune with a group of what at first appear to be friendly spirits, communicating mostly through the television. As usual, things happen and things get worse, with spirits becoming less friendly and more benevolent and violent.
Turning to a parapsychologist to help rid their home of these malevolent spirits and to help find now missing daughter Carol Ann, this movie is both horrifying and full of scares.
Hereditary
by Ari Aster Hereditary was his first feature film as a director, but you wouldn’t know that by watching it. The film is a slow burn, with little clues scattered throughout the film hinting at what’s to come, making for a rewarding re-watch. Not particularly a gruesome possession movie in the traditional sense, especially the first two thirds, the film’s final act amps up the horror in a particularly gruesome way. The scene with the cheese wire will go down in horror history, you know the one.
Aster followed Hereditary with Midsommarproving it was no fluke with his abilities, and is slowly carving out a small niche for himself in the horror genre as a slow burn director, which is happening with his two movies so far, and that hopefully only gets better the more he releases.
diabolical death
The original film in Sam Raimi’s long-running franchise starring Bruce Campbell as the affable and lovable Ash brought a new kind of horror to mainstream audiences. With far less humor than its sequel, the first leaned heavily into the camp side of things, but maintained a sense of horror throughout, chilling audiences with weird and wonderful scenes that would be parodied and brought to life. in pop culture to this day.
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Deborah Logan’s take
A group of students arrive at what they believe to be a homestead with the intention of cataloging the elderly mother’s battle with dementia. What was originally thought to be dementia turns out to be something considerably more dangerous and supernatural, and the film follows the students and the daughter of the afflicted doing their best to get to the bottom of what is happening. pass, survive and also help the possessed mother.
These are five of the best possession movies the horror genre has to offer, but there are definitely plenty more you could binge on. What possession films would you have included?
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