The most memorable religion-based horror movies

It’s considered one of the best horror movies ever, and frankly an all-time classic of any genre. “The Exorcist” was a massive hit and an Oscar nominee several times over. It is, of course, also a religious film. A child is possessed by a demon, and it is up to a couple priests to, well, perform an exorcism. There have been several sequels over the years, including 2023’s semi-reboot “The Exorcist: Believer.”

“The Conjuring” Universe is perhaps the weirdest of all cinematic universes, a mish-mash of assorted horror movies. Some involve a haunted doll. Others, a spooky nun. There are good nuns in “The Nun,” but also a spooky demon who takes nun form. Like “The Exorcist,” “The Nun” got a sequel in 2023.

Based on a Stephen King novel, “Children of the Corn” is of the “spooky kids” genre, but with a religious bent to it. There is a cult in a small Nebraska town comprised of children, led by the malevolent Isaac Chroner. These kids worship “He Who Walks Behind the Rows,” and they aren’t above a little ritualistic murder on his behalf.

“The Omen” is perhaps more of the “technically religious” variety, but it is steeped in the iconography of a certain brand of Christian dogma. It is, after all, about a child who turns out to be the Antichrist. That’s always rough on parents. “The Omen” was a big hit, and like any successful horror movie, spawned a series of sequels that got pretty wild.

A war between angels comes to Earth, in an overstuffed fashion. The film is fairly messy, but it does feature Christopher Walken as the Archangel Gabriel. Are there sequels? Four of them! Even utterly forgettable horror movies get sequels!

Now, the Nicolas Cage-starring version of “The Wicker Man” has become infamous for its badness, and for Cage’s unhinged performance. The original, though, is considered a cult classic. A Christian police sergeant goes to an isolated Scottish island looking for a missing girl, only to find that the islanders have given up on Christianity and turned to Celtic paganism in ways we will call extreme.

Darren Aronofsky is not afraid to get weird, alienating, and sometimes exasperating. On that front, “mother!” delivers and then some. As polarizing as it gets, describing “mother!” is nearly impossible. We can say it stars Jennifer Lawrence, and we can say that it turns out to be religious in nature. It’s… interesting to be sure.

Eric Bana played Ralph Sarchie in “Deliver Us from Evil,” a real person. As Sarchie’s Wikipedia page says, he is both a former NYPD sergeant and a “traditional Catholic demonologist.” Basically, Sarchie claimed in a 2001 book that in his work as a cop he came across some demon-plagued folks. It’s not good! It also made money. Oh, and Joel McHale is in it in a dramatic role?

In his directorial debut, Bill Paxton stars in a religious horror film of a different ilk. If you aren’t religious, maybe the demon stuff isn’t all that spooky. However, in “Frailty,” Paxton plays a man who says that God has told him to kill demons disguised as humans, but is he just an unwell, delusional murderer?

“An American Haunting” is based on the legend of the Bell Witch, a classic bit of American folklore that popularized the idea of the poltergeist in America, and influenced movies such as “The Blair Witch Project” as well. A heavy church element is involved in the movie, which is kind of a mess and a little clumsy in execution.

There’s no hiding the religious element of “Stigmata,” as it is right in the title. The idea of stigmata has roots in Catholicism, unsurprisingly, and speaks to people who spontaneously experience the wounds associated with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. That’s what happens to an atheist hairdresser in “Stigmata,” which is heavily indebted to religion, but is also not any good.

From a bad horror movie to a good one, Stephen King is back at it. “Carrie” was King’s first novel, and the first film adapted from one of his books. Now, Carrie’s high-school plight is not religious, but part of the issue for Carrie is her home life. Her mom is a religious zealot, and her fervor makes her a domineering, abusive figure.

This is the second Scott Derrickson movie on this list, the first being “An American Haunting.” Yes, Derrickson had two religion-related horror movies come out in the same year. There is an interesting legal-drama element to this “based on a true story” film. A non-believing lawyer serves as defense counsel for a priest who is accused of negligent homicide after performing an exorcism.

Larry Cohen had a fascinating career, including the low-budget horror film “God Told Me To,” reappraised as a cult classic in the years since it came out. Shot on location in New York City (not always with the proper permits), the film focuses on a police detective investigating a series of bizarre killings that are only connected by the assertion from the killers that God told them to do it. One of the killers is notably played by Andy Kaufman in his first film role.

This is the 1988 “The Unholy,” not the 2021 one, which is also a religious horror movie. A lot of the same ingredients are in this one. You know, a Catholic priest, demons, the works. What stands out here is that the action takes place in New Orleans, a city steeped in religious iconography.

“Rosemary’s Baby” is a little more religion-adjacent, as it feels like it uses the trappings of religion for convenience. However, it counts, and also “Rosemary’s Baby” is a common choice for the best horror movie ever, so we decided to include it. There’s a Satanic cult, and an appearance from the Judeo-Christian Devil, so it’s in the mix. Also, Charles Grodin is in it, and that’s always a plus.

Also known as “The VVitch,” Robert Eggers period piece is set in a Puritan colony in 1630s New England. Religion, witches, and living deliciously are all involved. Now, this is much more atmospheric than some of the showier religious horror films, but “elevated horror” is so very in right now.

Based on a DC character, John Constantine is an exorcist who can travel between Earth and Hell, and also talk to angels and demons. Keanu Reeves stars as Constantine, which in the wake of him playing Neo was encouraging. Alas, the movie didn’t quite land, but it paved the way for John Wick.

Do you like watching Russell Crowe chew scenery? We hope so, because Crowe clearly enjoys doing it, and nothing is going to stop him. In “The Pope’s Exorcist,” Crowe plays the title role, a character based on a real person. Armed with a Super Mario-level Italian accent, Crowe entertains with his game hamming it up, making for a fun diversion if you aren’t looking for anything substantive.