10 Unholy Found Footage Possession Movies That’ll Devour Your Soul
Mary Beth McAndrews
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Sometimes it feels like possession movies are a dime a dozen. The classic struggle between good and evil, plus the seemingly enduring strength of a higher power, is quite appealing for both believers and nonbelievers alike. While religious horror can get tiresome, found footage has offered a unique spin on the subgenre. Once again, handheld camera techniques make the events unfolding all the more terrifying. Plus, with found footage there isn’t always a priest to save the day. Instead, it’s just the recording of personal experience or, in these films’ cases, trauma.
These 10 films offer a wide range of found footage approaches to the demonic. Some are more conventional others, but they’re all bone-chilling.
The Last Exorcism
This film is perhaps the most conventional on this list but it’s also one of the scariest. In The Last Exorcism, a disenchanted Reverand goes to a secluded farm to assess Nell, who her father believes is possessed by the devil. And really, as she breaks her own fingers and is supposedly pregnant with the child of Satan, it seems true. Ashley Bell’s performance as Nell is enthralling, particularly as she contorts her body and snarls.
The Atticus Institute
A team at the titular Atticus Institute is trying to prove the existence of ESP and other supernatural abilities. One of their subjects is Judith, who seems to possess such talents. But, her power begins to grow and it seems like something darker is at hand.
The Devil’s Doorway
In Aislinn Clarke’s film The Devil’s Doorway, two priests visit a Magdalene laundry—an asylum for women pregnant out of wedlock or deemed “unruly”—to investigate claims of a miracle. But that miracle isn’t so miraculous and something is possessing the women forced to live there.
[REC]
Spoiler alert for [REC]: it’s actually a possession movie. This isn’t revealed until the film’s final minutes, which sheds a whole new light on all of the previous bloody events. The remaining survivors (a reporter and her cameraman) try to take refuge in the building’s attic, only to discover the more terrifying monster of all lurks in the dark. Plus, they realize that these creatures aren’t sick; they’re possessed. Yes, in [REC] possession has become contagion passed through bites. It’s one of the coolest and freakiest takes on possession films, both found footage and not.
Hell House LLC
If you think setting up a haunt in an abandoned hotel with a troubled past is a good idea, then you may want to check out Hell House LLC. While the idealistic haunt creators think that’ll bring in the big bucks, the forces that lurk in the Abaddon Hotel have other plans. The only woman of the group is possessed by these demonic entities and used as a puppet to help execute their violent desires.
The Taking of Deborah Logan
Horror movies that feature an older woman are always a win for me. Here, Deborah Logan is being filmed by students making a documentary about dementia. This starts out as a heartbreaking film about the illness and how it impacts those who care for people with dementia. But, as Deborah’s behavior gets more erratic, something else seems wrong. This is more than dementia; there’s something else living in her brain.
Paranormal Activity
Paranormal Activity is THE possession found footage movie. For the first half of the film, couple Katie and Micah are merely terrorized by the demon that haunts Katie. But, eventually, it begins to take over Katie’s body, forcing her to walk around the house and eventually kill her partner.
The Possession of Michael King
After the death of his wife, documentary filmmaker Michael King set out to disprove the existence of God or any higher power. So, he offers himself up to some of the darkest supernatural rituals out there across religions and beliefs. But the more he comes in contact with demonologists and necromancers, the more it seems like something is infiltrating his mind and body.
The Medium
Thai possession film The Medium was one of the best films of 2021. The pseudo-documentary provides a much-needed and refreshing look at religious horror that isn’t rooted in Christianity. Instead, The Medium focuses on shamanistic practices and the deities worshipped by a specific village. Shaman Nim believes her niece Mink is possessed by their goddess, which means Mink is next to be the shaman leader. But, the goddess isn’t in Mink. It’s something angry and bent on revenge.
Dabbe: The Possession
This Turkish found footage possession movie isn’t about Catholic demons, but about a djinn who possesses a bride through her henna. Due to her possession, she kills her soon-to-be husband. So, a childhood friend and djinn exorcist decide to search for answers and document them. It’s the longest found footage movie I’ve seen, clocking in at two hours and 20 minutes. But I promise it’s worth it!
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