Demonic possession has captured the imaginations of filmmakers for decades. Demons continue to take a central role in modern horror and there’s still clearly quite a huge audience for it. Any fan looking to dip into the realm of the dark spirits and disturbing contortionists has a plethora of demon movies to choose from.
Updated on April 24th, 2021 by Mark Birrell: Horror can be called the oldest movie genre, with demons and the supernatural often taking a central role in the stories. Demonic possession as a plot device or idea has had quite a varied legacy beyond just The Exorcist. It’s been incorporated into all types of movies, from found footage to comedy. Below is a list of the best examples of the idea’s usage in the horror genre and where to stream those titles. There should be something for every type of movie fan to enjoy, even if they’re not typically a fan of scary stories.
20 Jennifer’s Body (2009) Available on Starz
While 2009’s Jennifer Body from director Karyn Kusama didn’t immediately strike a chord with audiences, it has since developed a cult following that has gained a new weight in recent years as the film explored a young woman’s assault and murder as a ritualistic offering by a satanic indie band.
Unfortunately, Jennifer’s body has now become the host of a dark and murderous demon succubus who begins to feed on her fellow classmates while her best friend is left to deal with the monster she has become.
19 Luz (2018) Available on Tubi and Crackle
Tilman Singer’s 2018 directorial debut Luz is a German demonic horror movie that follows the titular cab driver as she finds herself being mysteriously questioned in a police station after a car crash that leads to a night filled with supernatural terror.
It is soon revealed that Luz is being hunted by a demon she recklessly conjured in her youth who possesses new bodies as it attempts to get closer to her in a beautifully shot, hypnotic mind-bender that demon horror fans won’t want to miss.
18 Demons (1985) Available on MUBI
1985’s Demons from Lamberto Bava and Dario Argento is an Italian demonic possession horror film set inside a free screening at a recently reopened movie theater showing a disturbing film filled with objects also seen in the theater’s lobby, which kicks off a mass invasion of other-worldly demons that begin to terrifyingly possess the theater-goers.
These possessions come with dramatic physical transformations that spread among the attacked viewers as the theater becomes overwhelmed by the violent demonic invaders in a film filled with gore and violence that will cater to fans of similar Italian horror classics.
17 Night of the Demons (1988) Available on Shout! Factory TV and Pluto TV
While it isn’t the best-reviewed demon horror movie fans have ever seen, 1988’s Night of the Demons has become a cult hit that follows a number of classic horror tropes as a group of teens attend a party at an abandoned funeral home that turns into a demon-filled massacre.
After a demon is released and possesses one of the party guests, she begins to spread the possession and violently take out the rest of the costumed guests in a spectacularly gory fashion that even inspired a 2009 remake of the same name, though the original is far superior.
16 Event Horizon (1997) Available on Cinemax
While most demonic possessions occur within individuals as the demons attempt to take over their body, there are also films that explore demonically possessed houses, or in the case of 1997’s Event Horizon, an abandoned starship.
After a distress signal is sent from a long-missing starship named the Event Horizon, a rescue and salvage crew boards the vessel and begins to experience hellish visions that reveal where the ship has been, and why it’s come back for more victims.
15 The Evil Dead (1981) Available on Cinemax
Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead took a different approach to demonic possession. The movie followed Michigan State University students who took a trip to a remote cabin. In the cabin, they found the Natural Demanto, an ancient book that would later be recognized as the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis in future films. After playing a recorded tape of incantations demonic forces are unleashed upon the cabin.
Possession is a much quicker affair than the gradual terror that occurred in The Exorcist. The demons use possessed students to attack the living. The Evil Dead is quite graphic, including a scene involving a tree that would prove to be rather controversial. Succeeding films in the franchise focus more heavily on comedy alongside the demonic horror elements.
14 The Conjuring (2013) Available on Netflix and HBO Max
James Wan is a master of horror cinema and The Conjuring proves it. The movie follows a family who moves into a new home where they experience supernatural activity. It sounds like any traditional ghost story, but things eventually take a turn for the worse.
The family contacts the now world-famous demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren to help them understand what is happening in their home. The family learns the morbid history behind their new home as a demonic presence takes hold of the matriarch. The movie spawned a sequel and several spin-offs. It was praised for its mastery in both scares and building suspense so expertly that the horrific moments felt truly earned.
13 Paranormal Activity (2007) Available on Starz
While found-footage style films had been around for some time, Paranormal Activity jump-started the genre again with its low-budget but horrific scares. The movie follows a couple who are experiencing strange occurrences within their home.
Eventually, they record the night-time “activities” of this presence. To their amazement, they discover something supernatural is actually occurring. However, it’s not a typical haunting. A demon has settled into their home and wants to take possession of the occupants.
12 The Amityville Horror (1979) Available on HBO Max
Much like The Exorcist, The Amityville Horror was based on events that allegedly occurred in the home. The horrific murders of the DeFeo family by Ronald DeFeo Jr. in 1974 were central to the beginnings of this story. After the tragic murders, a new family moves into the home and–you guessed it–begins to experience strange unexplainable things.
The haunting escalates until the father is overcome with rage through some outside influence and seeks to murder his own family. Much of the horror is the family attempting to escape the wrath of the possessed patriarch.
11 Annabelle: Creation (2017) Available on HBO Max
The be-deviled doll that earned its reputation at the start of The Conjuring received its own spin-off film – three spin-off films to be exact. Annabelle: Creation was the second film in the Annabelle trilogy; however, canonically, it took place first within the doll’s timeline.
The movie is centered around a dollmaker and his wife who lost their daughter, Annabelle, to a horrific car accident. Later in life, they allow a Catholic orphanage to use their residence. Eventually, one of the girls discovers a skeleton – or rather a doll – in their closet. Unfortunately, the doll is connected with an evil spirit seeking a host.
10 Insidious (2010) Available on Netflix
Another James Wan demonic possession horror masterpiece, Insidious takes a different spin on the haunting/demon possession angle. In this film, a boy becomes mysteriously catatonic. It is revealed that an evil spirit surrounds him and causes strange occurrences in the home.
The boy has the ability to cross into another spiritual realm while dreaming. One night, he goes too far and other spirits hold him back from returning to his body. A demon as well as other spirits circle the catatonic boy and cause frights and terror for the family as they all try to lay claim to his body.
9 The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) Available on Starz
The Exorcism of Emily Rose is yet another film loosely based on real-world events. The movie is framed from a litigious perspective as the priest who performed an exorcism on Emily Rose is on trial for her subsequent death. Details of the entire experience are learned through testimonies heard during the trial.
Frequently, the actual occurrence of Emily’s possession is shown through flashbacks as the priest recounts the events in court. As with the best possession movies, this one was truly horrifying.
8 The Last Exorcism (2010) Available on HBO Max
This horrific adventure is seen through the lens of a found-footage film, as two individuals are documenting a reverend seeking to prove that exorcisms are one big hoax. In fact, the reverend reveals he has performed fake exorcisms on people who only thought they were possessed.
However, this film follows the trio as they answer the call for an exorcism by a farmer who claims his daughter is causing big problems – like killing his livestock. From this point forward, the story only gets more bizarre and disturbing.
7 The Possession (2012) Available on Netflix
The vast majority of demonic possession movies stem from Christian beliefs or practices, particularly within Catholocism. However, The Possession takes a slightly different approach and centers around a dybbuk box from Jewish mythology.
After a young girl comes into the possession of the box, she’s slowly taken over by the malicious spirit residing within it, as it preys upon the drama of her family life instigated by the difficult relationship between her parents. Jeffrey Dean Morgan leads the movie with a much more vulnerable character than many horror fans will be accustomed to seeing him play and his performance, along with some flourishes from producers–and original Evil Dead creators–Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, have helped it become one of the more standout PG-13 horror movies of recent years.
6 The Devil’s Candy (2015) Available on Hulu
A family’s life is irrevocably altered when they move into a new home that, unbeknownst to them, was once inhabited by a serial killer who appears to be compelled by a demonic force.
The possession side of things isn’t really the focus of the narrative but it leaves more room for the drama that makes the horrific sequences so much more intense as the audience comes to really know the family at the heart of the story. The movie’s build-up is more than paid off by the end and the bloody finale makes it one of the scariest demon movies of all time, even without the demons. Pruitt Taylor Vince’s performance as the terrifying killer Raymond Smilie is more than enough to etch the movie into even the most hardened horror movie fans’ memories.
5 Noroi: The Curse (2005) Available on Shudder
Another found footage take on the demonic possession movie, Noroi, whilst still somewhat of a cult favorite among horror movie fans, is clearly one of the best, and scariest, demon movies ever made.
Revolving mostly around documentary footage from a paranormal researcher, it tells a compelling and sprawling story about inexplicable supernatural phenomena and possession. It’s a must-see for horror fans in general and regarded amongst aficionados as both one of the best demon movies and one of the best modern horror movies in general.
4 Prince of Darkness (1987) Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video
A great number of John Carpenter’s movies are underrated, debatably all of them, and Prince of Darkness remains one of the most criminally overlooked from his game-changing filmography.
It examines demonic possession from an unusually scientific perspective as a group of scientists and students study an ominous cylinder containing an unknown substance which an ancient text describes as the physical manifestation of the Devil himself. Its unique mixture of metaphysical concepts and body horror giving it a distinct character.
3 The Exorcist (1973) Available on HBO Max, Cinemax, and Tubi
William Friedkin’s seminal 1973 movie The Exorcist is likely the first title anyone ever thinks of when discussing the best demonic possession movies. The story follows the gradual descent of a 12-year-old girl into possession as the demon known as Pazuzu takes hold of her. The film terrified audiences when it was first released.
The filmmakers framed the possession in a raw, terrifying light while sprinkling in blink-and-you’ll-miss-it demonic images of Pazuzu’s face. Many audience members in 1973 reported feeling nausea from terror.
2 The Exorcist III (1990) Available on Peacock
After a poorly-received sequel movie in 1977, Exorcist II: The Heretic, the original author and screenwriter of The Exorcist, William Peter Blatty added some salvation to the franchise’s image with an adaptation of another of his novels.
Picking up the story of the original movie, but this time revolving more around the fate of Father Karras from the original, The Exorcist III is not only quite a frightening experience in its own right but a theologically stimulating one too, with Blatty’s dialogue-driven style making a lot of the horror stem more from a meeting between philosophical ideas and the audience’s imagination.
1 Hereditary (2018) Available on Showtime
Hereditary is a shockingly disturbing depiction of a demon seeking to take possession of a host within an unsuspecting family. The film follows Annie Graham, a mother to an odd 13-year-old girl named Charlie, and a 16-year-old son named Peter. After the death of Annie’s mother, a sinister presence takes over the home and has a strong influence on Charlie.
Midway through the film, a disturbingly tragic event occurs within the family that is the catalyst for the escalating demonic horror that ensues in the latter half of the film. The performances in this movie are gut-wrenching and perfect. Hereditary should not escape any fan’s Halloween horror viewing line-up if they’re looking for the scariest demon movies.
