Who doesn't love a good demonic possession movie? Why have they endured throughout the beginnings of the horror genre? Well, for one, demons are way scarier than ghosts. Ghosts aren't known for possessing people and usually they have a purpose related to something they didn't get the chance to do while alive.
Demons, on the other hand, are known for causing misery and torment. Most demonic depictions are about wreaking havoc and brutally tormenting their victims and anyone around them. That's why they're terrifying. Well, that and the fact that they can take over your body and force you to do their bidding.
But while demons are a very popular horror movie monster, there aren't that many genuinely terrifying demon-centered horror movies. Likely because there are so many of them, the good ones are far and few between. Luckily for horror fans, A24 has kind of claimed top dog when it comes to this particular sub-genre. The following list highlights the best and creepiest demonic films from the indie studio.
Talk to Me (2022)
- Streaming on Netflix
The idea of a random possession is scary enough, but what about playing with fire by willingly allowing spirits to take over your body, so long as you can exorcise them within a limited window of time? Talk to Me offers that very idea, hinging on a creepy game involving an embalmed hand and the summoning phrase, "talk to me." A group of friends gets caught up in the game, allowing various entities to possess them completely for up to 90 seconds.
Passing that threshold without ending the ritual and relinquishing the hand results in immediate, horrifying, consequences. A unique premise, Talk to Me toys with the same ideas behind Ouija boards and other mischievous games teens dabble in, getting thrilled and chilled by the possibility of something going wrong while not fully believing it's possible—until it's too late. Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou will release their second highly-anticipated horror feature Bring Her Back, later this month.
The Hole in the Ground (2019)
The Hole in the Ground is a unique take on the "possessed child" genre, mainly because it is actually scary and doesn't hold back on the terror just because a child is involved. In some ways, this film reminded me a bit of The Babadook, in that it focuses on a mother who believes something might be seriously wrong with her child.
The film starts with Sarah and her son, Chris, almost getting into an accident, resulting in Chris running off into the woods and ending up near a sinkhole. Whatever happens to Chris at the sinkhole causes a permanent shift in him and Sarah begins to suspect that her son is no longer her son.
Saint Maud (2019)
Saint Maud is a smartly written psychological horror film that deals heavily with themes of religious trauma and religious hypocrisy. The central character, Maud (Morfydd Clark), is a carer who converts to Roman Catholicism after losing one of her patients, becomes obsessive about "saving" the soul of one her newest patients, a former dancer named Amanda.
Maud firmly believes she has been tasked with a faith-based mission and drives herself to insanity in pursuit of her end goal, never once stopping to consider whether Amanda is actually better off under her tutelage. It's a dark and introspective character study about the perils of religious dogmatism and Maud's ultimate tragic downfall as a result.
The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015)
Before there was Longlegs and The Monkey, Osgood Perkins gifted us with this supremely underrated 2015 movie starring Kiernan Shipka and Emma Roberts. One thing I seek out when trying to find a new demonic possession movie that will surprise me is a unique concept, and that's what made me enjoy The Blackcoat's Daughter so much.
This is not your typical tale of a demon taking someone by force and ruining the lives of many. In this case, the person possessed comes to enjoy their possession and even feels alone without it. It follows a strange young woman named Katherine who learns she is being haunted by a dark entity during her stay at a boarding school over winter break.
Hereditary (2018)
Hereditary has often been hailed as one of the scariest movies of all time and it's kind of like the poster child for A24 horror movies. It is a genuinely frightening and incredibly disturbing movie featuring demonic possession and even the summoning of the demon king, Paimon.
One of the film's main selling points is the central performance from Toni Collette, who is sensational in her role of grieving miniature artist Annie Graham. When the worst thing that could happen to a mother unfolds, Annie trauma is only tripled as she uncovers her family's sinister secrets and dark connection to the occult. What starts as the story of a grief-stricken family trying to get their lives together explodes into a traumatizing and sometimes feverish climax where all the film's glorious tension boils over into a riveting and utterly horrific final 20 minutes.