5 demonically scary movies on Netflix ahead of The Deliverance

Netflix is closing out the summer with the release of one of its most anticipated horror movies, The Deliverance, from the acclaimed director Lee Daniels, starring Andra Day, Glenn Close, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and Mo'Nique.

The Deliverance is inspired by the true story of a woman named Latoya Ammons, who believed her home was haunted and that her children had become possessed by entities residing inside. For those who enjoy these types of demonic movies, you're in luck because Netflix is streaming many good ones right now!

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

The Autopsy of Jane Doe from director André Øvredal is one of those horror films that doesn't explain things to the audience. A lot is left up to interpretation at the end, but the journey in exploring the film's premise is what makes this one so haunting.

It's a simple plot, following a father and son who both work as coroners and are trying to ascertain the reason behind an unidentified woman's death. As the duo begins their examination, they start finding all kinds of strange things in the corpse of their Jane Doe and their findings are often accompanied by terrifying supernatural phenomena.

Evil

This entry is technically cheating since Evil isn't a movie, but a (very good) show. You probably wouldn't be able to watch the entirety of it before The Deliverance is released on August 31, but it's 100% worthwhile and a fantastic series to get into if you're looking for something witty, funny, and also downright scary.

For now, only the first two seasons of Evil are available on Netflix, but if you do get invested in the series you can watch the remaining episodes on Paramount+. On the downside, Evil was recently canceled by Paramount+ after four seasons, but on the plus side, the writers and cast did get an extra four episodes to wrap things up so it has a satisfying conclusion.

The Pope's Exorcist (2023)

Not to be confused with the other exorcism horror film that was released this year also starring Russell Crowe, The Pope's Exorcist is a surprisingly entertaining and slightly campy little flick that flew relatively under the radar when it came out in 2023. Crowe plays Father Gabriele Amorth, who is based on the real guy of the same name who wrote a book about his time working as the chief exorcist for the Vatican.

The real Amorth reportedly performed somewhere around 60,000 exorcisms and helped found the International Association of Exorcists. While the movie is more focused on the horror aspects of it all, it's enjoyable, fast-paced, and features some excellent acting from its "possessed" stars.

Incantation (2022)

This Taiwanese found-footage film was hailed as one of the scariest movies of the year when it was released in 2022 and became an instant theatrical hit, therefore getting snapped up quickly by Netflix for international distribution shortly after.

The story centers on a woman named Li Ronan and the events of the film play out of order as viewers slowly learn the horrible truth about what happened to her and a curse she accidentally takes on after breaking a religious taboo. Several characters become victims of demonic possession and the most chilling part of all is that the film is loosely inspired by a true story involving mass hysteria.

Evil Dead Rise (2023)

Okay, adding this movie is also kind of a cheat because, technically, Netflix isn't adding it to its streaming catalog until September 23, which is well after The Deliverance is set to premiere. But you can't really talk about demonic movies without referencing one of the originators and that's exactly what the Evil Dead franchise is.

Evil Dead Rise is the latest entry in the long-running film series. This time, we see the Deadites terrorize a family trapped inside a high-rise with no way out. The situation is made worse by the family matriarch getting possessed, which gives us a riveting and horrific performance from Alyssa Sutherland as the fandom-dubbed "maggot mommy."

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