There are countless differenthorror moviegenres, but there is something about religious horror films that makes them particularly terrifying. Whether or not they dive into the realm of the supernatural, they speak to the fears that countless societies have developed over the years through religion. This sets this subgenre apart from the others in a key way, making these films vastly different from films like thebest cosmic horror movies.
Filled to the brim with scares, dread, and depictions of grief, many of these religious horror movies are contestants for some of thebest horror movies of all time. With storylines that rely on depicting religious scenarios that instill dread in the viewer, films likeApostleandHereticchallenge preconceived notions and offer a view into terrifying worlds. For the perfect scares revolving around religious horror, several movies go the extra mile in their filmmaking.
Apostle
Cast
In the year 1905, a man travels to a remote island to rescue his sister, who’s been kidnapped by a religious cult. Netflix picked up the film in March 2017, about a month before production began. It had its world premiere at the 2018 Fantastic Fest.
When a young woman named Jennifer is kidnapped by a dangerous religious cult, her brother Thomas sets out to find her and bring her back home.Apostletakes place back in 1905, depicting a world in which religion is taken with deadly seriousness. This only becomes more apparent as Thomas struggles to traverse the world of this dangerous cult, which he quickly discovers has been committing bloody sacrifices.
Featuring performances from incredible actors, including Michael Sheen ofGood Omensfame,Apostleis a bloody adventure that uses gore to unsettle the viewer.This is the main selling point of the film, and it is certain to make any viewer’s stomach turn. It also succeeds at instilling a feeling of dread throughout, convincing anyone who watches that Thomas' quest may end up failing in the end.
Heretic
Heretic, released in 2024, follows two young missionaries who must navigate a perilous test of faith when they encounter the sinister Mr. Reed after knocking on the wrong door, leading to a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse.
Following a pair of Mormon missionaries in their quest to spread the word of God,Hereticbegins innocuously enough. These girls are summoned to the home of a man named Mr. Reed, who hopes to learn more about the faith in what seems to be his own effort to find a religion that works for him. However, it is slowly revealed that the door has been locked, andit is actually Mr. Reed who hopes to teach the girls about faith and its failings by holding them hostage and putting them through a horrific gauntlet.
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Operating as a test of faith for the girls and, in some ways, the viewers as well,Hereticis as much a horror film as it is an exploration of belief and morals. Hugh Grant is cast perfectly against type in his role as Mr. Reed, both charismatic and terrifying in equal measure. It is one of the more interesting horror movies to release this year, offering as much to think about as it does to be scared of.
Frailty
Frailty is a psychological horror-thriller directed by and starring Bill Paxton. The film centers on a man’s confession to an FBI agent about his father’s disturbing religious visions, which led to a series of murders, as the family became entangled in a mission to rid the world of supposed demons.
Starring Bill Paxton and Matthew McConaughey,Frailtyis a horror movie mired in religious delusion. It revolves around a string of murders titled the “God’s Hand” killings, where victims have gone missing, supposedly in the name of God. The film takes a close look at the killers who take part in these murders, justifying their sins because they believe they are not killing people, but rather demons in disguise.
Frailtywas generally well-received, and it currently holds a rating of 75% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Perhaps more sad at times than it is horrific,Frailtytakes its time to unravel the deeper plot and meanings lingering below the surface.This is only punctuated by the film’s disturbing imagery, which does not need to rely on the outright jump scares that so many horror films use to their own detriment. Instead,Frailtyremains more creepy than anything, giving viewers plenty to think about.
The Witch
The Witch follows a 1630s family that relocates to a remote New England farm. Strange, unsettling events transpire, causing mounting suspicion and paranoia. This testing environment challenges the family’s faith, loyalty, and love amid isolation and tension as they confront the unknown forces lurking beyond their new home.
Following the story of a family who believes they are being haunted by something evil lurking in the woods,The Witchis a movie that relishes in the fear of the dark and the unknown. Taking place during the time of 1600s Puritan New England,this film dives directly into a version of religion that is drastic and dangerous in and of itself. This, coupled with the threat in the woods, makes for a tense atmosphere where nightmares reside in every corner.
Eggers' films likeThe Lighthouse, Nosferatu,and evenThe Witchuse their historical settings perfectly, allowing the viewer to become invested in the stories as if they live in those times themselves.
Eggers himself is a master of crafting horror that takes time to build, creating something that is greater than the sum of its own parts. Eggers' films likeThe Lighthouse, Nosferatu,and evenThe Witchuse their historical settings perfectly, allowing the viewer to become invested in the stories as if they live in those times themselves. This only adds to the religious suspense, inviting viewers to imagine what religious life might have been like during that time period.
The First Omen
The First Omen is a horror film from director Arkasha Stevenson that acts as a prequel to the 1976 film The Omen. The film follows a young woman who goes to Rome to become a nun but begins to question her faith after encountering a terrifying darkness that aims to spawn an evil incarnate.
Acting as a prequel to the classic 1976 horror filmThe Omen, The First Omenrevolves around a Catholic nun who works at an orphanage in Rome. When babies are born, each bearing what the clergy believe to be the number of the devil, they start to worry about the coming of the Antichrist. This is only made more concerning when the people involved start dying in mysterious ways.
Despite being part of such an old film series,The First Omenmanages to stay fresh with its storyline and engaging throughout the entirety of the film. It is quite frightening, managing to draw in viewers and terrify them with graphic imagery and chilling revelations.The film expertly flips back and forth between delightful and disgusting, making it an engaging watch to leave viewers wondering what will happen next.
Immaculate
Immaculate is a 2024 horror film directed by Michael Mohan and stars Sydney Sweeney. When a devout woman named Cecilia is offered a position at a prestigious convent in Italy, she takes it with little hesitation. However, Cecilia’s world is turned upside down when she discovers the terrible secrets hidden within her new place of faith.
Another film following the story of a nun,Immaculatebegins when Sister Cecilia joins a mysterious Italian convent.Upon arriving, she starts to notice things aren’t quite right, something that becomes especially important when she befriends a pregnant nun named Sister Gwen. This leads Sister Cecilia down a rabbit hole that leads to many horrific discoveries, including what is actually happening to the nuns staying at this convent.
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Using pregnancy as an aspect of horror is nothing new, withRosemary’s Babybeing one of the most famous for a variety of reasons.Immaculatefollows in these footsteps, creating a genre of religious horror that is distinct compared to other film genres. It is personal and frightening, weaving a narrative that brings incredible storytelling together with genuine scares.
Carrie
Carrie, a film directed by Brian De Palma, is based on Stephen King’s novel. Released in 1976, it centers on Carrie White, a bullied high school student who discovers her telekinetic abilities, amidst torment from peers and her domineering mother, leading to unpredictable and intense events.
Stephen King is known for his horror novels and perhaps even more so for his novels' adaptations, andCarrieis perhaps one of the most famous of these adaptations. Featuring a high school girl named Carrie who realizes that she has psychic powers, the film depicts Carrie as a girl who faces countless struggles in life. These struggles come in the form of her abusive, religious mother, as well as the bullies she faces at school.
Carriewas nominated for two separate Academy Awards, but it did not end up winning either of them.
The most famous scene in the film comes right at the very end, when a bucket of blood is dumped on Carrie’s head at the school dance, where she then proceeds to trap and kill everyone there. This comes after an entire film of Carrie being pushed past her limits, leading the viewer to feel a sort of sympathy for her. WhileCarrieisn’t the scariest horror film,it is a movie that dares to take a look into the mind of a character that, anywhere else, would be its villain.
Midsommar
Ari Aster’s Midsommar follows a group of American college students who travel to a friend’s isolated rural hometown in Sweden to experience their renowned midsummer festival. What starts out as idyllic quickly becomes a disconcertingly violent pagan ritual, with the friends engaged in a ruthless competition that will test more than just their friendship. Florence Pugh stars alongside Jack Reynor, Will Poulter, and William Jackson Harper.
Midsommaris a unique religious horror film for a variety of reasons, namely because,instead of Christianity, the film focuses on a pagan cult.After a murder-suicide ends the lives of Dani’s sister and parents all in one night, she takes a trip with her boyfriend and his friends to a Swedish religious festival. The cult at the center of the festival is more than it initially seems, and it slowly digs its claws into the lives of the entire friend group, especially Dani.
AlthoughMidsommartakes place mostly during the daytime, the film still manages to be a tense addition to the religious horror genre. The villains of the film still manage to offer a sense of family, even after committing horrific acts to people that Dani considered to be friends. Dani is not the only one who is brainwashed as the film goes on, but the viewer as well, makingMidsommara terrifying exploration of what it takes to change a person’s mind.
Rosemary’s Baby
Directed by Roman Polanski and starring Mia Farrow, Rosemary’s Baby chronicles the chilling tale of Rosemary Woodhouse, the wife of an actor who, after finding out she is pregnant, begins to suspect that her unborn child is something far more sinister than a normal baby. John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, and Maurice Evans also star.
When Rosemary finds out that she is pregnant, she initially celebrates and prepares for the coming of her child. However, asRosemary’s Babyprogresses, she begins to suspect the world and people around her. Not only does she uncover a conspiracy to bring about the Antichrist, but she also realizes that everyone in her life has been placed there purposely, and even her own husband has been lying to her.
Rosemary’s Babyis based on the novel of the same name, written by Ira Levin.
Mired in paranoia and subtle storytelling,Rosemary’s Babytakes its time for its main character to discover what is truly going on around her. Each reveal makes the situation that much more sickening, and when it becomes clear to Rosemary that she is being gaslit, the film explodes with tension. Even now,that tense feeling remains, despite the fact the movie was released in the ’60s.
The Exorcist
The Exorcist is a supernatural horror film based on the novel released in 1971 and was directed by William Friedkin. When a young girl is passed by a powerful demon, two Catholic priests are brought to her home to attempt an exorcism to expunge the demon.
The Exorcistis one of the most iconic horror movies of all time, depicting the possession of a young girl named Regan.She is beset upon by a pair of priests who attempt to free her from the demon inside of her,but this task is more Herculean than either of them could have ever imagined. This leads not only to the deaths of those involved, but danger for the young girl as well.
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Seeing such a young girl do such horrifying things is what makesThe Exorcistso difficult to watch at times. At the time, a demon in the form of a little girl was an incredible idea for ahorror movie, and it is something that has been repeated time and time again since. This movie is a classic for a reason, complete with great writing and famous moments that are well-known even by people who have never seen the movie.
