Of all the different types of horror movies out there, those that focus on demonic possession have proven continually popular over the years. Regardless of whether one believes in the supernatural, the idea of a demonic entity or some kind of spirit entering one’s body is a frightening one. This kind of horror works because losing control of oneself is inherently scary, and when it’s a demon doing the possessing, chances are their reasons for taking control aren’t going to help the person in question.
Demonic possession movies are also notable for being popular throughout the world, with this kind of horror being mixed with various cultures and folklore, which keeps such films interesting and not feeling stale. It also shows that the idea of being possessed is an unsettling one on a global scale, with the following best possession movies – ranked below from worst to best – demonstrating the various ways this kind of supernatural terror has been portrayed in cinema.
Updated on October 3, 2023, by Hannah Saab:
With the premiere of The Exorcist: Believer just around the corner (October 6), it’s clear that possession horror movies and films about exorcisms aren’t going out of style anytime soon. It’s the perfect time to dive into some of the best ones.
25 ‘The Last Exorcism’ (2010)
It may be called The Last Exorcism, but this 2010 horror film is far from the last exorcism-related movie, because the formula such films follow is just too reliable. It can’t even be called the last of the movies called The Last Exorcism either, seeing as in 2013, it got a sequel with the somewhat amusing title of The Last Exorcism Part II.
It’s a solid enough exorcism-themed movie for those who like that kind of thing, and does manage to stand out through also being a found footage horror movie. In the end, two popular sub-genres of horror combine here to make something pretty decent overall.
Watch on Hulu
24 ‘Noroi: The Curse’ (2005)
Kōji Shiraishi is a Japanese director who specializes in making horror movies, and he combined horror with crime to great effect in the underrated and very unsettling A Record of Sweet Murder. 2005’s Noroi: The Curse is perhaps his most famous movie, though, and something of a modern J-horror classic (known among the best demon movies ever made).
It’s about a mysterious demon called the “kagutaba,” and follows a documentary filmmaker as he sets out to explore numerous cases linked to this alleged entity. It’s less about delivering a strict plot and more about bombarding the viewer with various unsettling scenes that are shown in a found footage style, ultimately making things feel a little more tangible and effectively skin-crawling.
Watch on Shudder
23 ‘The Medium’ (2021)
Though South Korean horror films might not be as popular as J-horror, it’s certainly become more recognized in recent years. 2021’s The Medium half-qualifies, because it was a Thai and South Korean co-production, but the film is set in Thailand and features Thai dialogue.
It’s another possession movie that incorporates a mockumentary/found footage style (they don’t all do this, by the way!), following a family that has one member of every generation inherit shaman powers through a spirit that enters their body. Complications arise, however, when a young girl in the family finds herself negatively impacted by such a spirit, leading to everyone else needing to find out how they can rid her body of the negative influence. It uses well-worn tropes in a unique setting and with less well-known mythology behind it, ensuring The Medium still has plenty to offer for horror veterans.
Watch on Shudder
22 ‘Fallen’ (1998)
Fallen is the rare movie about possession that isn’t fully definable as one that belongs to the horror genre, with it being more of a particularly dark crime/thriller. It follows a homicide detective who notices a series of killings similar to those committed by a notorious serial murderer… who was shown being executed at the start of the film.
Things take a turn towards the supernatural, but the idea that others might have been possessed by the spirit of a killer isn’t played for horror as much as you’d expect. Still, this at least gives Fallen a chance to stand out from the crowd, and it’s also worth checking out for the strength of its cast, which includes Denzel Washington, John Goodman, and James Gandolfini.
21 ‘Demons’ (1985)
The 1980s housed too many iconic horror movies to count, and that can lead to something with a title as generic as Demons potentially slipping under the radar. The film is similarly simple, but in no way can the execution be called generic, because Demons is a blast to watch, making up for a lack of scares by just being super entertaining.
It’s an Italian film about various people who get invited to a cinema to watch a strange new horror movie, only for something among them to begin attacking and possessing the viewers one by one. Most of it takes place inside the cinema, and the unique setting is creatively used throughout, making for a no-nonsense and wonderfully over-the-top viewing experience.
Watch on Shudder
20 ‘House’ (1977)
A cult classic that ranks among 1977’s best films, House is a loopy and unpredictable movie like no other out there. At its core, it is a haunted house movie about a group of young people who get possessed by some strange force within said house after they go to stay in it, but it’s the style and presentation that makes it distinct.
House has its own strange logic or lack thereof, and ends up feeling more like an absurd/surreal comedy with a few light horror elements, rather than something that’ll keep viewers up all night in fright. But there’s nothing wrong with that for those who like horror mixed with comedy, and when it comes to films that blend those two genres, few have as much fun doing so as House does.
Watch on Max
19 ‘Jennifer’s Body’ (2009)
While Jennifer’s Body wasn’t exactly a well-reviewed movie when it first came out, viewers in more recent years have been kinder to it, and its critical reputation has improved dramatically. Maybe there was just an inherent negativity on the part of many towards Megan Fox, but she turns in a genuinely good performance here as the titular Jennifer.
It’s set in high school, and follows two friends who find themselves at odds after one of them begins behaving quite strangely, showing signs that she’s possibly been possessed. It mixes comedy and horror, ultimately prioritizing the former, but still provides a good deal of effective horror scenes and a final act that has some surprising emotional depth to it.
Watch on Max
18 ‘Evil Dead II’ (1987)
Upping the mayhem found in the first film, and giving everything a decidedly more comedic spin, Evil Dead II would have to be one of the greatest horror sequels in history. In a way, it also serves as a semi-remake of the 1981 original, beginning by recapping that first film and then subsequently having a narrative with many similar sequences and story beats.
It’s as much of a remix as a sequel, and that’s one of the things that makes it such a deservedly beloved 1980s comedy/horror movie. Like the first (and the other Evil Dead movies that followed it), it’s also a great example of possession horror, given Ash Williams has to continue battling other people who’ve been taken over by an evil (and sometimes quite mischievous) demonic entity.
Watch on Shudder
17 ‘The Exorcist III’ (1990)
The third movie in the Exorcist series, The Exorcist III was released 17 years after the iconic original, and 13 years after the less beloved Exorcist II: The Heretic. According to most horror fans, the former is essential and the latter is skippable, but The Exorcist III makes for a surprisingly good follow-up.
It’s notable for being directed by William Peter Blatty, who wrote the novel the original film was based on and also adapted it into a screenplay. It’s not a direct sequel, but works well as an extension of some of the ideas/themes explored in that first film, and overall makes for a strong threequel that’s held in high regard, even though it’s not viewed as a movie that quite equals the original.
Watch on Prime Video
16 ‘Sinister’ (2012)
Demonic possession movies have proven particularly popular within the last decade or two, and Sinister reflects that, as one of the best-known of the 2010s. It’s not a found footage movie, but follows a true-crime novelist who views “found footage” while trying to piece together the details of a grisly crime that occurred in his house.
His investigation ends up getting him on the wrong side of a demonic entity, and then he and his family end up getting into serious danger. It’s a compelling film from director Scott Derrickson, who’s since gone on to direct the first Doctor Strange (not a horror movie) and The Black Phone (which is a horror movie, but not one that’s heavy on possession elements).
15 ‘Drag Me to Hell’ (2009)
Admittedly, Drag Me to Hell doesn’t commit to demonic possession quite as much as the movies from Sam Raimi‘s Evil Dead trilogy, but this 2009 horror movie from the filmmaker does certainly flirt with possession. The premise follows a woman who finds herself fighting for her life after she gets a curse placed on her by an older woman.
It goes to some pretty wild and grisly places, all the while also having a dark sense of humor, which one would expect from a Sam Raimi movie like this. For dealing with supernatural horror, centering around a terrible curse, and having other frightening aspects most found in demonic possession movies, it can arguably count as one of the greats within this sub-genre.
Watch on Prime Video
14 ‘Ju-on: The Grudge’ (2002)
Despite being more than 20 years old at this point, 2002’s Ju-on: The Grudge still packs a pretty serious punch when it comes to being a creepy film about possession. There are also plenty of movies that belong to the Ju-on/Grudge series, but this is quite often regarded as the best of the bunch.
It centers on a strange house that appears to contain a particularly vengeful spirit, with anyone who stays in the house ultimately finding themselves haunted/possessed. It’s a very low-key kind of horror film where the more subtle elements end up being the creepiest, with everything adding up to make Ju-on: The Grudge rather unsettling.
13 ‘Insidious’ (2010)
Insidious has become a franchise since the original in 2010, with it now having four sequels, including a fifth movie that’s slated for release in 2023. Like a good number of horror movie franchises, it’s the original that tends to be held up as the best of the lot.
It’s sort of like a home invasion movie, except the invaders are supernatural and capable of possessing the entire family that lives within their selected house. It’s expertly directed by Australian filmmakerJames Wan, who’s right at home being behind the camera for a horror movie like this, and it overall delivers all the scares (ones that make you jump or otherwise) that you’d expect from such a film.
Watch on Max
12 ‘Prince of Darkness’ (1987)
John Carpenter‘s filmography might not be the most consistent one in the world, but it’s certainly an interesting and varied one. Many of his films are a little underrated or not quite as well-known as they deserve to be, with 1987’s Prince of Darkness qualifying as one such movie, given it’s not talked about as often as The Thing, Halloween, or They Live.
The plot follows a team of researchers making an unsettling discovery inside an abandoned church, with what they uncover potentially spelling doom for humanity as a whole. But before then, it also spells doom for the researchers themselves, with the horror coming from the way a mysterious force within the church takes control of certain characters, arguably not dissimilar to the way a team of researchers found themselves taken over by an alien creature in The Thing, released five years earlier.
11 ‘Pulse’ (2001)
Though technology has changed a great deal since 2001, there’s still something very unsettling about the way Pulse utilizes the internet for much of the film’s horror. The plot is mystery-heavy, and depicts what seems to be a particularly dangerous (and haunted) computer virus that’s able to control internet users who come into contact with it.
It might sound preposterous, but the way the film presents this premise is suitably unnerving and likely to get under the skin of most who choose to watch it. Also, the fact it uses technology in such a direct way sets it apart from other horror movies about demonic entities taking control of people, with Pulse‘s mood and overall visual aesthetic being effectively disturbing.
Watch on Prime Video
10 ‘Black Sunday’ (1960)
Black Sunday‘s a movie that’s quite shocking for something released well over 60 years ago, even though modern-day horror fans desensitized to violence might not be troubled as much by what they see. It’s about a witch coming back from the dead and attempting to possess the body of a woman who looks similar to her, with the woman’s brother doing what he can to undo such a possession.
It’s understandably a cult classic, and a movie that’s highly revered by horror fans for its take on demonic possession, released at a time when such horror movies weren’t as common. Its age may date it in some ways, but even then, there still ends up being a great deal to appreciate about Black Sunday.
Watch on Kanopy
9 ‘The Amityville Horror’ (1979)
Non-horror fanatics may be surprised to learn that there are a total of 10 Amityville Horror movies, with the most recent of those – Amityville: The Awakening – coming out in 2017. None of the many sequels are quite as well-regarded as the first, however, which was released in 1979.
It combines a haunted house, grisly past murders, and an exorcism into the mix, serving as a demonic possession movie that pretty much ticks all the boxes. Its premise is similar to more modern movies that may prove scarier to current-day audiences, but The Amityville Horror was important in establishing (or at least developing) many of the tropes that are attached to this horror sub-genre.
8 ‘The Wailing’ (2016)
The Wailing is up there as one of the best Asian horror movies in recent memory. It’s a lengthy South Korean film that runs for over 2.5 hours, and functions like a mystery film as much as it does a horror one, with a story about a police officer who tries to work out the cause of a strange sickness that has incapacitated a small village.
Because of the length, it should be noted that The Wailing is certainly a slow-burn horror movie, taking its time as it gradually reveals answers to its many mysteries for audiences who are willing to be patient. But the destination makes the journey one that feels worth taking, with the overall mood and atmosphere of The Wailing proving difficult to shake.
Watch on Prime Video
7 ‘The Conjuring’ (2013)
A smash-hit horror movie that’s spawned something of an unstoppable franchise, The Conjuring is one of the most well-known 2010s films of its genre for good reason. Like Insidious, it was directed by James Wan, who made something even better here, with a possession-themed film that hits harder than most.
It’s loosely based on the purported exploits of a real-life couple – Ed and Lorraine Warren – whose experiences also ended up influencing other supernatural horror movies like The Amityville Horror. Now known as one of the best demonic movies, The Conjuring takes well-worn horror beats and milks them for maximum effect. It doesn’t exactly show you anything you haven’t seen before, but it utilizes familiar horror-related scenes and sequences well, ensuring that The Conjuring ends up being an effectively freaky film.
Watch on Max
6 ‘The Witch’ (2015)
Plenty of possession movies take place in the modern-day, which helps something like The Witch stand out from the crowd. Its story is set almost 400 years ago, and has characters speaking noticeably old-fashioned English while dealing with a mysterious force that seems intent on destroying the lives of a family that’s been exiled from the settlement they once called home.
It’s a small-scale yet expertly made work of horror that caused quite a stir upon release, and instantly established Robert Eggers as a filmmaker to keep an eye on going forward. It’s also notable for being the theatrical film debut of Anya Taylor-Joy, who’s since become one of the most popular actresses of the early 2020s.
Watch on Max
