We’ve got some honorable mentions including Constantine and The Devil Inside as well as Burnt Offerings and The Rite. And although there was definitely some kind of possession going on in Fallen, The Amityville Horror and The Shining, they seem to have been more ghostly than demonic. Or are we nitpicking here?
Either way, I’ve made no secret about the fact that I’m absolutely crippled with fear from exorcism films so it was with great trepidation that I accepted the assignment to create the Top Seven Demonic Possessions in Horror.
“American Horror Story: Asylum”
“American Horror Story: Asylum” had so much going on you could really shoehorn it onto any top anything list. With slashers and aliens and Jessica Lange singing “The Name Game” in a psych ward, “American Horror Story: Asylum” was truly a cornucopia of the bizarre. However, one of the most impressive characters in the show’s sophomore season was Sister Mary Eunice, played by Lily Rabe. The meek sister had a demon take up residence in her body while she was attending a successful exorcism in one of the early episodes of the season. (Hey, the devil’s gotta go somewhere, right?) The show smartly used this possession angle to make for some compelling and fun television.
Demons
Whether you call it Demons or go by the Italian title Demoni, the bottom line is this Lamberto Bava film is loaded with bloody possessions. Of course, the most notable (and another one that kept me up at night) was that of the beautiful Geretta Geretta, who was the initial victim in the film and would go on to be one of the most brutal and violent of the possessed. Completely over-the-top in every way possible, Demons is a fantastically gruesome and gory adventure loaded with evil beasties that are more than just a bunch of pretty faces… these guys are truly scary!
[REC]
At first we didn’t know what was terrorizing that unfortunate apartment building. Then we assumed they were infected or zombies. Little did we know that all those nasty monsters were actually possessed! Not only did [REC] blow the doors off the found footage/shaky cam style of filmmaking, but it spawned (and continues to spawn) successful sequels. And it’s really fucking scary! I must admit (and I’m sure I’m not that only one) that I watched the final scene of the movie, featuring the emaciated Tristana, through my fingers! Check out that chilling final scene below!
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Although she’d become best known for playing Detective Debra Morgan on “Dexter”, Jennifer Carpenter shocked audiences as the title character in this film, which was loosely based on the case of Anneliese Michel, a German Catholic woman who died during the course of a real-life exorcism (and if you do a little digging, you’ll find many exorcism films draw inspiration from that incident). Although it had many aspects of a courtroom drama, The Exorcism of Emily Rose certainly had its high points, and the fact that it went the extra mile to come up with a unique story was a real plus for this film.
The Last Exorcism
Another exorcism film that stands out because of its unique story is The Last Exorcism. It’s a sort of mockumentary about a disillusioned minister-for-hire performing “exorcisms” for families who believe a member of their clan is possessed. Of course none of them ever are… until one is. Then suddenly the idea of being a phony mercenary exorcist doesn’t seem like such a good idea anymore. To work the camera into the story, the minister, Reverend Cotton Marcus (played by Patrick Fabian), agrees to shoot a documentary about his unscrupulous shenanigans, but it’s all quite derailed when he meets his final subject. Highlighted by the amazing body contortion work of lead actress Ashley Bell, The Last Exorcism brings all the aspects of a great possession film and another fresh story idea as well. Because there’s no sense in just being another copycat of the granddaddy of them all.
The Exorcist (1973)
And, of course, there could be no other possession to headline this list than The Exorcist. Not only the scariest exorcism film of all time, in my opinion it’s the scariest movie of all time, and it’s held that title with little to no competition for over 35 years. Linda Blair’s portrayal of Regan Teresa MacNeil, accompanied by outstanding special F/X, was literally unforgettable. However, the real icing on the cake, the final and perhaps most important detail that made this character so chilling, was the voice provided by actress Mercedes McCambridge. A story of a priest losing his faith brilliantly accompanies the story of the possession, and the demon’s incessant toying with his mind shows just how evil the creature is. This is the true pinnacle of horror.