Summary

• Exorcism movies tap into universal fear of supernatural evil, with different cultural spins keeping audiences engaged.
• Innovative approaches to exorcism scenes, like found footage and non-Christian perspectives, enhance the terror of possession films.
• Despite varying styles, the original exorcism movie, "The Exorcist," remains the pinnacle of the genre due to its iconic and intense scenes.

Though there are a multitude of exorcism horror movies, relatively few of them manage to make their exorcism scenes genuinely scary. The idea of possession extends beyond the horror genre. In cultures across the world, there is a deep-rooted fear of the sinister side of the supernatural, with stories of demons and evil spirits a universal theme. This explains why, whatever the horror zeitgeist, exorcism and possession movies always prove popular with filmmakers and audiences.
Given how many different kinds of exorcism horror movies there are, it follows that there are just as many spins on the quintessential exorcism scene. Some, like The Exorcist, have come to define what most viewers associate with the rite, drawing on Catholic and Christian traditions. Others take a more unorthodox approach, bringing in different cultures and even technology to bear. Whatever themes are explored, exorcism scenes have the potential to be some of the most effective moments in any horror film.

10 The Cleansing Hour (2019)

A clever comment on reality television

The power of The Cleansing Hour's exorcism scene comes from the audience sharing the characters' growing realization that they've totally lost control. The movie's ingenious premise sees a reality TV crew attempt to stage a fake exorcism for views, only for the stunt to quickly transform into the real thing. The team's shocking realization at what they're up against as Father Max's attempted exorcism goes wrong completely changes the tone of the movie, laying the foundations for the more explosive scares to come.

9 The Rite (2011)

A powerhouse exorcism performance

Although The Rite does not rank among the best exorcism movies (ing just 22% on Rotten Tomatoes), the movie does boast an incredibly effective exorcism scene. This is almost entirely due to the performance of Anthony Hopkins, who despite some questionable material, manages to imbue Father Lucas Trevant with quiet authority and even malice when facing off against Baal. While the rest of the movie falls short thanks to an overlong runtime and tangential plot, the scenes with Anthony Hopkins both performing an exorcism and being subjected to one are surprisingly effective and scary.

8 Poltergeist (1982)

An unconventional exorcism

While many movie exorcism scenes feature contorted bodies, demonic voices, and bodily fluids, not every film conforms to the stereotype. Tobe Hooper's celebrated 1982 horror movie Poltergeist is a perfect example. Though the movie has plenty of scary scenes, none are quite as unsettling as the moment when Tangina Barrons, as she is supposed to be cleansing the house of its spiritual presence, appears to be ushering more spirits through to wreak havoc on the innocent Freeling family. Although it's later confirmed that she was tricking the spirits, the moment and its accompanying paranormal activity are still terrifying for the family and viewer.

7 The Wailing (2016)

Exorcism as a metaphor

Exorcism scenes are often scary in their own right, but can become even more powerful if used to make a wider social point. The South Korean horror movie The Wailing pulls this trick off expertly, using its possession-based story to carry a wider message about xenophobia and superstition. The whole movie features several terrifying scenes, as a village slowly succumbs to a sinister curse brought by either a mysterious Japanese man or a woman in white. However, the exorcism scene where several characters experience horrific pain simultaneously is especially effective as the true source of the horror remains ambiguous.

6 The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (2005)

Exorcism, without the blood

Despite being generally regarded as one of the scariest exorcism movies ever, The Exorcism of Emily Rose generally avoids the more violent tropes that define other genre movies. However, the fact that there is so little gore only makes its climactic exorcism sequence more powerful. Set in a stable, the scene is a battle of wills between Tom Wilkinson's Father Richard Moore, and the demons possessing Emily. As the action ramps up, horses escape, a storm rages, and onlookers are understandably paralyzed by fear, making the moment a worthy showdown.

5 The Last Exorcism (2010)

Found footage heightens the horror

Bringing a new level of innovation to the possession genre, The Last Exorcism is a fine exemplar of how found footage filmmaking can enhance the horror of a scene. The Last Exorcism is filled with numerous horrific moments, from the "crew"'s early encounters with Nell to Nell's murder of an innocent cat. However, it is the movie's climax, where Manley desperately tries to exorcise the possessed Nell atop a cultist altar, that is the most terrifying. Featuring a demonic birth, cult worship, and decapitation, it is an explosive and scary finale to an effective exorcism horror movie.

4 Requiem (2006)

Horror doesn't need the devil

Based on the same true story as The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Requiem does not focus on the supernatural. While this might seem a strange choice for an exorcism movie, the film instead turns the exorcism itself into the source of the horror. Unlike more sensational explorations of the subject, Requiem portrays the protagonist Michaela as suffering from a combination of epilepsy and mental illness. This grounding in rationality makes the horrific exorcism at the end of the movie, and subsequent revelation that Michaela died, all the more scary – despite the devil himself seemingly not being involved in the story.

3 The Possession (2012)

An alternative perspective on possession

One of the most effective non-Christian exorcism stories, The Possession draws on the Jewish tradition of dybbuks as the inspiration for its horror. Although glimpses of the movie's sinister antagonist, Abyzou, are seen throughout, the complete dybbuk is carefully kept hidden until The Possession's dramatic climax. Filmed inside a former hospital, the scene features Abyzou climbing out of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's face, before being confined back in its former prison.

2 The Conjuring (2013)

True story inspiration enhances the terror

One of the most powerful modern horror movies, The Conjuring set a new standard for possession movies with its release in 2013. The film is filled with memorable jump scares and set pieces, but its dramatic exorcism sequence remains a highlight. Flashing between the demonic action in the basement and a bombardment of possessed crows, the scene is both frenetic and terrifying, never fully revealing the nature of the spirit attacking Carolyn. Because some details are kept hidden, The Conjuring's exorcism scene is a potent reminder of how less can sometimes be more.

1 The Exorcist (1973)

The original – and still the best

Many movies have tried to replicate The Exorcist's success, yet it remains the greatest exorcism movie ever made. Unsurprisingly, therefore, its main exorcism scene is not just the scariest, but also the most iconic. An extended sequence that includes the iconic "the power of Christ compels you" line, the scene incorporates fear, hopelessness, anger, and self-sacrifice in a terrifying whirlwind that expertly bookends one of the most disturbing movies ever made. Even without cheap tricks like CGI, The Exorcist's exorcism scene is one of the scariest moments in any horror movie.