Summary

• Classic demonic possession movies continue to be popular, showcasing a timeless terror that still haunts audiences today.
• Unique takes on demonic possession, like those in Luz and The Possession, offer fresh and exciting spins on the genre formula.
• The best demonic movies, from classics like The Exorcist to modern hits like The Conjuring, are essential for any horror fan's viewing list.

Demonic possession has captured the imaginations of filmmakers for decades, and the best demonic movies have terrified audiences for just as long. Movies about demonic possession have been scaring viewers as far back as the silent era in the early 20th century, with The Student of Prague one of the earliest efforts in 1913. Possession still feature heavily in modern horror, there remains a huge audience for demonic movies. Dipping into the realm of the dark spirits is just as exciting as it is intimidating, and there are a plethora of the best demon movies to choose from.

The best demonic movies are often the ones that take unique approaches to the formula. However, classic takes on demonic possession still continue to do serious business at the box office in modern times. New or old, whether it's Evil Dead Rise or The Exorcist, possession movies can be found on some of the biggest streaming platforms available to subscribers and some are even available for free for more casual viewers. The cream of the crop should be considered essential viewing for any horror fan.

25 Luz (2018)

A Demon Hunts A Woman Who Conjured It As A Child

Tilman Singer's 2018 directorial debut Luz follows the titular cab driver as she finds herself being mysteriously questioned in a police station after a car crash. That leads to a night filled with supernatural terror. It's soon revealed that a demon is hunting Luz after she recklessly conjured it in her youth while staying at a religious school. It possesses new bodies as it attempts to get closer to her, and it all starts when the demon possesses a doctor attempting to hypnotize her. The horrors only get worse from there.

The German horror movie is a hypnotic mind-bender that takes a fresh approach to the subgenre.

The German horror movie is a hypnotic mind-bender that takes a fresh approach to the subgenre. Luz is most notable for its unconventional narrative structure, and as it was shot on 16mm film, the movie is grainy and adds to the dread. Between the non-linear way Luz unfolds, the gritty-looking aesthetic, and the intentionally slow pace, Luz is a tense and exhausting demonic possession movie. Critics loved the movie, giving it an 87% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

24 The Possession (2012)

A Demonic Movie Based On The Dybbuk Box

The vast majority of the best demonic possession movies stem from Christian beliefs or practices, particularly within Catholicism. However, The Possession takes a slightly different approach and centers around a dybbuk box from Jewish mythology. After a young girl comes into possession of the box, she's slowly taken over by the malicious spirit residing within it, as it preys upon the drama of her family life instigated by the difficult relationship between her parents. The story is based on a 2004 New York Times article (via Shock Till You Drop).

Jeffrey Dean Morgan leads the movie with a much more vulnerable character than he's generally used to.

The use of Jewish folklore makes The Possession feel truly unique when it comes to demonic possession movies, and it has some of the most terrifying jump scares in the genre. Jeffrey Dean Morgan leads the movie with a much more vulnerable character than he's generally used to. His performance, along with some flourishes from producers, Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, helped it become one of the more standout PG-13 horror movies of recent years.

23 The Devil's Candy (2015)

A Family Moves Into A Demonically Possessed Home

In The Devil's Candy, a family's life is irrevocably altered when they move into a new home that, unbeknownst to them, was once inhabited by a serial killer who appears to be compelled by a demonic force. This demonic force attempts to consume Jesse, an artist and the husband of the family. The possession side of things isn't the focus of the narrative. However, it leaves more room for the drama that makes the horrific sequences so much more intense, as the audience comes to know the family at the heart of the story.

Pruitt Taylor Vince's performance as the terrifying killer Raymond Smilie is more than enough to etch the movie into even the most hardened horror movie fans' memories.

The movie's build-up more than pays off by the end and the bloody finale makes it one of the best possession movies available to stream, even without the demons. Pruitt Taylor Vince's performance as the terrifying killer Raymond Smilie is more than enough to etch the movie into even the most hardened horror movie fans' memories. The Devil's Candy is one of the best demonic movies, and it sits at an extremely high 92% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a rare high score for a horror movie.

22 The Exorcist III (1990)

The Real Sequel To The Original Exorcist Movie

After a poorly-received Exorcist sequel in 1977, Exorcist II: The Heretic, the original author and screenwriter of The Exorcist, William Peter Blatty added some salvation to the franchise's image with an adaptation of another of his novels. The Exorcist III picks up the story where the original movie left off, but this time revolving more around the fate of Father Karras. Lieutenant William F. Kinderman investigates a series of murders and soon discovers a connection to the same demonic possession that haunted him years earlier.

The Exorcist III is not only quite a frightening experience in its own right but a theologically stimulating one too. Blatty's dialogue-driven style makes a lot of the horror stem more from a meeting between philosophical ideas and the audience's imagination. While the threequel isn't as great as the original movie, not much is, and The Exorcist III is still a great possession movie. The 1990 release is easily the best Exorcist sequel in the critically beloved franchise.

21 Burnt Offerings (1976)

A Possessed House Brings Out The Worst In Its Victims

Burnt Offerings is about a family that rents a mansion in the summer. While so many of the best demonic movies are about families moving into new houses, this 1976 release offers something unique. Once the family settles into the house, frightening and strange occurrences start happening, and they're haunted by supernatural forces within the mansion. The change here is that the more the family turns on each other, the more the house rejuvenates itself, almost based on their fear and distrust.

The characters slowly turn paranoid, especially when their dark secrets come to light.

It's never fully explained what forces characters to die by suicide or age decades, but it's a terrifying haunting. However, what is scariest about the movie isn't the jump scares or the make-up and practical effects of the possessed characters, it's the psychological horror aspects of Burnt Offerings. The characters slowly turn paranoid, especially when their dark secrets come to light. Burnt Offerings is one of the most unsettling possession movies and an iconic haunted mansion film.

20 Devil (2010)

A Possession Murder Mystery In A Trapped Elevator

Devil has a unique concept for a demonic possession movie, and it's one of the scariest isolation thrillers. Almost the entirety of the film takes place in an elevator where five random and very different people are trapped (although there are also scenes in the control room of people watching what is happening in the elevator). It quickly becomes clear that one of them is possessed, as one character gets randomly killed every few minutes, and the characters must figure out which one of them is possessed.

Devil expertly tackles the theme of redemption.

All the characters are guilty of something dreadful, and Devil expertly tackles the theme of redemption. The movie was heavily marketed as being produced by M. Night Shyamalan (but directed by John Erick Dowdle), and ended up as one of the better movies with the director's name attached from that era. The film is as much of a thriller as it is a demonic possession horror movie. Part of the fun of Devil is that audiences try to figure out which one of the people in the elevator is the possessed character before it's revealed, almost like a detective movie.

19 Annabelle: Creation (2017)

A Prequel In The Conjuring Franchise

The be-deviled doll that earned its reputation at the start of The Conjuring received three spin-off films. Annabelle: Creation is the second film in the Annabelle trilogy; however, canonically, it takes place first within the doll’s timeline. The prequel details the origins of the terrifying doll and is centered around a dollmaker and his wife who lost their daughter, Annabelle, to a horrific car accident. Later in life, they allow a Catholic orphanage to use their residence. Eventually, one of the girls discovers a skeleton — or rather a doll — in their closet.

Shockingly puts the children in danger, and the performances of the young actors are surprisingly impressive and believable.

Unfortunately, the doll is connected with an evil spirit seeking a host. Annabelle: Creation is one of the most chilling and best demonic movies, particularly because the film does what so few dare. It shockingly puts the children in danger, and the performances of the young actors are surprisingly impressive and believable. Just like many other great movies of its kind, Annabelle: Creation expertly tackles these of loss and grief. It went on to win the iHorror Awards Best Horror Sequel honor in 2018.

18 Noroi: The Curse (2005)

A Found Footage Possession Japanese Horror Movie

In the 2000s, "found footage" movies became extremely popular, especially when it came to horror movies. While Paranormal Activity ended up extremely successful, Noroi: The Curse went under the radar, although it has since become a cult classic as people began to rediscover the lost gem. The Japanese horror movie follows a documentary filmmaker investigating several supernatural events involving a woman. He soon figures out that a sinister demonic entity possesses her.

Noroi: The Curse is meticulously crafted

The 2005 movie is mostly made up of documentary footage, such as interviews, news reports, and surveillance footage collected by a paranormal researcher, and it tells a compelling and sprawling story about inexplicable supernatural phenomena and possessions. Noroi: The Curse is meticulously crafted and is generally regarded as one of the better found footage horror movies, though it took a long time to find its audience. For people wanting a relatively obscure found footage horror movie, it is available on Shudder.

17 Prince Of Darkness (1987)

John Carpenter's Demonic Movie

The 1987 John Carpenter movie examines demonic possession from an unusually scientific perspective, as a group of scientists and students study an ominous cylinder containing an unknown substance. It's revealed that it's an ancient text that describes the physical manifestation of the Devil himself. The movie cleverly meshes supernatural horror with science, and though it isn't scientifically accurate, few demon-possession movies have ever approached the subgenre from a scientific standpoint.

Prince of Darkness is just as appealing to sci-fi fans as it is to demonic movie fans

Between debating quantum physics and ancient prophecies, Prince of Darkness is just as appealing to sci-fi fans as it is to demonic movie fans, and it's one of only a handful of horror movies that sit as comfortably in the middle of that Venn diagram. Prince of Darkness is a unique mixture of metaphysical concepts and body horror that gives it a distinct quality. John Carpenter has several underrated movies, and Prince of Darkness remains one of the most criminally overlooked from Carpenter's game-changing filmography.

16 The Last Exorcism (2010)

A Priest Sets Out To Prove Exorcisms Are A Hoax

The Last Exorcism is another found-footage movie, and it's another unique approach to the subgenre, making for one of the best demon movies. This horror movie follows two individuals documenting a reverend seeking to prove that exorcisms are one big hoax. In fact, the reverend reveals he has performed fake exorcisms on people who only thought they were possessed. However, the trio answers the call for an exorcism by a farmer who claims his daughter is causing big problems — like killing his livestock.

While exorcism horror movies have a long history, The Last Exorcism is a refreshing spin on the formula

From this point forward, the story only gets more bizarre and disturbing. While exorcism horror movies have a long history, The Last Exorcism is a refreshing spin on the formula, and it cleverly blends supernatural elements and psychological manipulation, but, ultimately, the possession is real and absolutely terrifying. Like all great demonic movies, The Last Exorcism explores ideas of religion and skepticism is truly creepy. Critics also praised it, naming it the Best Horror Movie at the Empire Awards.

15 Jennifer's Body (2009)

A Woman Murdered In A Ritual Sacrifice Returns For Vengeance

While 2009's Jennifer's Body by director Karyn Kusama didn't immediately strike a chord with audiences, it has since developed a cult following that has gained a new weight in recent years. Jennifer's Body is a great teen horror movie, as the film explores a young woman's assault and murder as a ritualistic offering by a satanic indie band. Following that, Jennifer's body becomes the host of a dark and murderous demon succubus who begins to feed on her classmates, while her best friend deals with the monster she has become.

Given that Jennifer's Body isn't a scary horror film, it's totally unique in the demonic possession subgenre

Not only is the movie one of the best demonic possession movies, but Jennifer's Body is one of the steamiest horror movies too. The Diablo Cody scripted horror movie has feminist undertones, as the possessed Jennifer punishes aggressive males, and it has only become more relevant in the years following the #MeToo movement. Given that Jennifer's Body isn't a scary horror film, it's totally unique in the demonic possession subgenre, and it's easily Megan Fox's best and most iconic release.

14 The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (2005)

An Exorcism Movie That Doubles As A Courtroom Drama

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is another film loosely based on real-world events. The movie is framed from a litigious perspective as the priest who performed an exorcism on Emily Rose is on trial for her subsequent death. Details of the entire experience are learned through testimony heard during the trial. Frequently, the actual occurrence of Emily’s possession is shown through flashbacks as the priest recounts the events in court. The 2005 film is another possession flick that blurs the line between faith and science, but, as always, the supernatural reigns supreme.

It's so nailbiting that when it cuts back to the testimonies, it's relieving for audiences

Other than The Exorcist, The Exorcism of Emily Rose is easily one of the best movies about exorcisms. As with the best demonic movies, The Exorcism of Emily Rose is truly horrifying. It's so nailbiting that when it cuts back to the testimonies, it's relieving for audiences, as they know it'll be five to ten minutes before the next arm-chair-clutching terrifying sequences. Director Scott Derrickson used this movie to launch his career in the supernatural, and he moved on to the MCU's Doctor Strange 11 years later.

13 Constantine (2005)

A Comic Book Based Demonic Movie

Constantine isn't just about demonic possession, but it's set in a whole world of demons with a wonderful-looking gothic aesthetic. The movie follows John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) an exorcist-detective who takes down supernatural forces living on Earth and delivers them back to hell. The irony is that he has his own inner demons too. Constantine is a demon possession movie with a blockbuster budget, and it's the mouthwatering cinematography, visual effects, and world-building that make it so great.

While it might not satisfy that craving for terrifying and nightmare-inducing possession flicks, the big-budget action horror is still one of the best demon movies.

While it might not satisfy that craving for terrifying and nightmare-inducing possession flicks, the big-budget action horror is still one of the best demon movies. Based on a DC Comics character (by way of Vertigo), Constantine returned as a TV show in the Arrowverse. While the movie wasn't a critical success when released, both fans and critics have reevaluated it, and it has become a cult classic. Constantine 2 is now reportedly in development, most likely thanks to the success of Keanu Reeves' John Wick franchise.

12 Event Horizon (1997)

Paul W.S. Anderson's Breakout Horror Movie

While most demonic possessions occur within individuals as the demons attempt to take over their bodies, a few films also explore demonically possessed houses, or in the case of 1997's Event Horizon, an abandoned starship. After a distress signal is sent from a long-missing starship named the Event Horizon, a rescue and salvage crew boards the vessel and begins to experience hellish visions that reveal where the ship has been, and why it's come back for more victims.

Despite having a sci-fi veil, Event Horizon is one of the best demonic movies.

That's when the victims have to fight for survival, which takes them to hell and back, and despite having a sci-fi veil, Event Horizon is one of the best demonic movies. It's impossible to unsee or even try to forget the images and visuals when the characters enter the notorious nightmarish realm in the film. Event Horizon is intense, totally claustrophobic, and it's easily the crown jewel in director Paul W.S. Anderson's filmography, and Event Horizon is now getting a sequel series.

11 Paranormal Activity (2007)

The Most Successful Found Footage Movie In History

While found-footage-style films had been around for some time, Paranormal Activity jump-started the genre again eight years after The Blair Witch Project did it the first time. Paranormal Activity found success with its low-budget but horrific scares, as the movie follows a couple who are experiencing strange occurrences within their home. Eventually, they record the nighttime "activities" of this presence. To their amazement, they discover something supernatural is actually occurring.

Paranormal Activity is one of the best demonic movies, and watching somebody sleepwalking has never been so scary.

However, it's not a typical haunting. A demon has settled into their home and wants to take possession of the occupants. The franchise-spawning Paranormal Activity is one of the best demonic movies despite being one of the subtlest, and watching somebody sleepwalking has never been so scary. Director Oren Peli instills fear in audiences simply with time-lapses of people sleeping and little else. The fact that the series has become a billion-dollar-grossing franchise following this small movie, which was even shot in the Paranormal Activity director's home, is such a huge feat.

10 Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Roman Polanski's Demonic Masterpiece

Rosemary's Baby is a classic horror movie, and it still totally holds up thanks to its timeless themes and influential storytelling. The movie follows Rosemary Woodhouse, who begins to believe that her unborn child is a result of a satanic cult that lives in her building, and she starts to think that she is becoming groomed by the cult and her husband to use her baby for rituals. Rosemary's Baby ranks among the very best horror movies of all time, despite a narrative that is left ambiguous and open to interpretation.

Rosemary's Baby is essentially an allegory for the vulnerability of motherhood, and women being trapped by manipulation, paranoia, and trust.

Above all else, Rosemary's Baby is essentially an allegory for the vulnerability of motherhood, and women being trapped by manipulation, paranoia, and trust. However, the sense of dread of what happens behind closed doors and the mere hint of demonic possession in the movie is one of the most hair-raising and unsettling cinematic experiences, making for one of the best demonic movies. In 2014, the Library of Congress placed Rosemary's Baby in the National Film Registry, one of cinema's highest honors.

9 Evil Dead Rise (2023)

The Resurrection Of The Evil Dead Franchise

Evil Dead Rise is one of the newest movies about demonic possession, and it's the fifth entry in a long-running franchise that started in 1981. The Evil Dead franchise has taken on many different forms, whether utilizing the evolving comedy in Sam Raimi's original trilogy or the very horror-focused reboot in 2013. However, Evil Dead Rise is a perfect mix of horror and comedy, although it ends up as one of the bloodiest and most violent movies in a franchise that started as one of the video nasties of the 1980s.

Evil Dead Rise is a return to form for the franchise and delivers on the gore, scares, and laughs expected in an Evil Dead movie

Just like Mia did before him and Ash did before her in previous movies, young Danny discovers a book, one of the three famous Naturom Demonto books, and reads from it, which summons demonic spirits known as Deadites and inadvertently possesses his mother, who starts to kill her own children to turn them into Deadites too. Evil Dead Rise is a return to form for the franchise and delivers on the gore, scares, and laughs expected in an Evil Dead movie, and it compares well with even Raimi's original releases.

8 Sinister (2012)

A True Crime Writer Discovers A Demonic Possession

Before delving into the cinematic universe with Doctor Strange in 2016, filmmaker Scott Derrickson delivered one of the scariest films of the 2010s. In Derrickson's second movie about demonic possession, following The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Sinister is about true-crime writer Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke), who moves his family to a new house for research for his next novel. It sounds like a familiar premise, but it's executed better than almost any other possession movie.

Sinister is the closest a movie has gotten to repeating the audience response in theaters that The Exorcist had in the 21st century.

Ellison discovers home movies in the attic of the house, and the disturbing footage leads to him unknowingly inviting a demonic entity into the house. The further into the movie it gets, the more desperate and obsessed Ellison becomes and the more horrific the haunting becomes. The 2012 movie is full of surprising twists, and a disturbing presence has never been felt more in a horror flick. Sinister is the closest a movie has gotten to repeating the audience response in theaters that The Exorcist had in the 21st century.

7 The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

A Woman Uses Possession As A Murder Defense

James Wan is a master of horror cinema and The Conjuring proves it, but the sequel, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, directed by Michael Chaves, is just as good if not better. Where the original movie had the typical narrative of a family moving into a new home and was more of a traditional ghost story, the sequel ups the ante. The sequel is based on the real-life trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who tried to convince a jury that she was possessed when she was on trial for manslaughter.

The movie is not only one of the best demonic movies, but it's also a great procedural courtroom drama too

The movie is not only one of the best demonic movies, but it's also a great procedural courtroom drama too, following in the footsteps of The Exorcism of Emily Rose. It perfectly mixes the legal proceedings with terrifying demonic sequences. The movie is engaging as the audiences are even more connected to the Warren family the second time around. However, critics felt the horror was uninspired, although the courtroom drama was a nice twist on an otherwise haunted house story, making it more of a mystery.

6 Smile (2022)

A Demonic Movie That Deals With Trauma

Thanks to an incredible viral marketing campaign, Smile became a phenomenal success and made $217 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). However, it's also thanks to the absolutely creepy look of the movie and the unpleasant but addictive under-the-skin feeling the story has. Smile is about Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon), a psychiatrist who witnesses a traumatic event involving one of her patients. After this, she begins to experience supernatural occurrences, and it always starts with a very unnerving smile.

Rose must confront her traumatic past to overcome these supernatural events

The doctor continuously sees people with creepy smiles before they die by suicide or do something else totally out of the ordinary and often violent. It turns out they are all possessed, and Rose must confront her traumatic past to overcome these supernatural events. The movie bears similarities to The Ring and It Follows, but it's more frightening, more of a psychological horror, and is a masterclass for jump scares. Smile also has such a bleak ending that it makes it hard to watch since Rose can not overcome her traumatic past.