Cinematic satanic panic reached its pinnacle with two franchises: The Exorcist and The Omen. The former film, released in 1973, was preceded by a terrifying marketing campaign that stirred up controversy all over the world. Director William Friedkin's tale of a young girl possessed by a powerful demon still scares audiences to this day.
The latter film, released three years later, carried the torch forward by telling the story of Damien Thorn, a boy who turns out to be the prophesied Antichrist. Both The Exorcist and The Omen became franchises. While none of their follow-ups or remakes compare to the original films, they are still revered horror movie series among fans of the genre. They also spawned dozens upon dozens of copycat features.
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) - 3.8
The direct sequel to 1973's The Exorcist isn't directed by William Friedkin; instead, it's written and directed by John Boorman. Even the author of the original novel, William Peter Blatty, wanted nothing to do with the movie.
In what is characterized as one of the worst films ever made, Linda Blair returns as Regan MacNeil, who is still recovering from her demonic possession four years after the original movie's events. As Regan is plagued by a new bout of supernatural occurrences, a group of religious and scientific experts come together to save her once again.
Omen IV: The Awakening (1991) - 3.9
The fourth and final installment in the original The Omen series follows a girl who is set to succeed Damien Thorn as the Antichrist. A similar story transpires in The Awakening: two lawyers adopt the girl, Delia, unaware of her demonic potential.
As creepy accidents unfold around Delia, her mother hires a private investigator to figure out the girl's true origins. Critics were not impressed with the film, hailing it a trudging, unoriginal addition to an already suffering franchise.
Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) - 5.2
Morgan Creek Productions hired acclaimed director Paul Schrader to direct a prequel to the original The Exorcist. Even though Schrader stayed true to the script, producers were afraid his more philosophical and cerebral film would not do well in theatres.
Renny Harlin was brought in to reshoot almost every scene in the film, which stars Stellan Skarsgård as a priest who takes a sabbatical in East Africa – only to be confronted by his worst nightmare. Harlin's take was derailed by critics and audiences alike.
Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist (2005) - 5.2
After Harlin's film proved to be a disappointment, Schrader's original cut was released the next year. The plot and cast are mostly the same, and Dominion received only slightly better reviews than Exorcist: The Beginning.
One fan of this take, though, was William Peter Blatty, who spawned the franchise with his 1971 novel. While he hated Harlin's movie, Blatty described Schrader's as "a handsome, classy, elegant piece of work."
The Omen (2006) - 5.5
This straightforward remake of The Omen stars Julia Stiles and Liev Schreiber as the parents of the future Antichrist, Damien Thorn. Directed by John Moore, this big-studio revival of the franchise did well financially during its theatrical run.
That being said, most critics labeled The Omen a pointless film that does little to breathe new life into this familiar story. On the flip side, Roger Ebert, who disliked the original, praised Moore for "letting the strong story unfold itself rather than foregrounding visual effects."
Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981) - 5.6
In The Exorcist III, Sam Neill plays a grown-up Damien Thorn, a 32-year-old who has just been appointed U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain. As The Bible prophesies, Thorn is well on his way to summoning the so-called Second Coming.
However, a group of priests works behind the scenes to bring Thorn down from his Satanic throne. While it has its moments, The Final Conflict's final conflict is far from apocalyptic or entertaining.
Damien: Omen II (1978) - 6.3
Flash forward seven years after Damien Thorn killed his adoptive parents in The Omen, and the now 12-year-old is onto the next phase of world domination. Living with his wealthy aunt and uncle, Damien uses his supernatural abilities to take out everyone in his way.
Damien: Omen II is far more gruesome and less sophisticated than its predecessor, but it maintains a solid following. Instead of wallowing in the serious nature of its subject matter, Omen II has fun with it.
The Exorcist III (1990) - 6.4
William Peter Blatty wrote the screenplay for and directed this third The Exorcist film from his own novel, 1983's Legion. The Exorcist III stars George C. Scott as Lt. William F. Kinderman, a Georgetown detective who appears in the original movie.
Kinderman is investigating a series of occult slayings that resemble the work of a deceased serial killer known as Gemini. The film's production company insisted upon multiple changes to the movie, but a 2016 director's cut gives audiences a better sense of what Blatty wanted to make.
The Omen (1976) - 7.5
Damien Thorn's cinematic journey begins with Richard Donner's feature film, a psychodrama that takes The New Testament's end times prophesies literally. Gregory Peck and Lee Remick play Damien's adoptive parents, who give bombastic performances as the people forced to raise the Antichrist.
While The Omen remains a genre classic, it's not revered for its strong plot or sensical interpretation of Biblical literature. Instead, fans love it for its equally scary and silly twists and turns.
The Exorcist (1973) - 8.0
William Friedkin's masterfully crafted tale of demonic possession remains the best of the lot. With its jaded characters, terrifying practical effects, and unrelenting scares, The Exorcist's action hinges on the efforts of a demon named Pazuzu – created by author William Peter Blatty.
While the film centers around Pazuzu's possession of 12-year-old Regan MacNeil, played by Linda Blair, everyone around Regan is affected by the terrifying situation. Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, and Max von Sydow shine in supporting roles.