[Editorial] 13 Possession Horror Films That Will Make Your Head Spin

Possession, whether of the demonic or spirit type, is one of the most popular subgenres of horror. The possibility of not being in control of your own body and its functions is an idea that has terrified audiences since the release of William Friedkin’s The Exorcist in 1973 and continues to be one of the most utilised horror plot points to this day.

The idea of possession is one that can be found in many different cultures and religions spanning centuries and even millennia. Countries such as India, Japan, China, Tibet and the Yakama nation all have historical recordings of demonic or spirit possession and the accompanying exorcism rites used to extinguish them from possessed people. Despite the idea of possession and exorcism existing since the era of Sumerians, possession and exorcism wasn’t used as a central plot line for films until 1973, when the most infamous and controversial of horror films hit the big screen. 

1. The Exorcist (1973)

Directed by William Friedkin

You can’t have a list of possession films without including perhaps the most infamous demonic possession movie that is William Friedkin’s The Exorcist. Starring Linda Blair as a pre-pubescent girl plagued by the demon Pazuzu, The Exorcist depicted the nastiest elements of demonic possession including green projectile vomit, backward spider walking and the rite of exorcism itself performed by two Jesuit priests. The film was so controversial it was banned in many countries including Ireland, and caused mass fainting and hysterics from cinema goers upon its release. Still one of the greatest horror movies ever made, The Exorcist continues to scare the pants off of audiences today.

2. The Medium (2021)

Directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun.

This mockumentary style possession chiller from Thailand transplants the usual Judeo-Christian subject of possession into the Thai cultural belief system. As a documentary film crew follows the medium Nim, from the island of Isan, who is possessed by the spirit deity Bayan. Nim’s niece Mink begins to display aggressive and erratic behaviours as the ancestral line of possession must be continued. Despite being a slow burner, The Medium is a creepy and tense found footage supernatural horror, in a similar vein to Lake Mungo (2008).

3. The Devil’s Doorway (2018)

Directed by Aislinn Clarke

Set in a Magdalene Laundry in the 1960s, this Irish found footage horror movie is terrifying not only for it’s out and out horror, but also for its historical setting in a real-life mother and baby home that housed Ireland’s unwed mothers and put them to work under the tyrannical nuns. When two Catholic priests investigate miracle claims at a laundry, they soon uncover a young possessed pregnant girl being held by the nuns. There are moments of tense, creeping terror and the role of the ruthless mother superior played by Helena Bereen is the most perfect depiction of a religious villain.

4. Abby (1974)

Directed By William Girdler

Abby is a blaxploitation possession horror starring William H. Marshall, of Blacula (1972) fame, as an archaeologist who has been tasked to perform an exorcism of sorts after his daughter-in-law, Abby (Carol Speed) becomes possessed by the Nigerian sex spirit of Eshu. Abby is borderline plagiarising The Exorcist, with an added funk soundtrack, and much like the Friedkin production, the cast and crew were plagued by storms and whirlwinds that delayed production, a strange occurrence taking into account that Eshu is the deity behind chaos and whirlwinds. 

5. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

Directed by Scott Derrickson

Part courtroom drama, part demonic possession horror, The Exorcism of Emily Rose stars Laura Linney as a defence lawyer for a priest (Tom Wilkinson) who is accused of negligent homicide after performing an exorcism on a young woman, played by Jennifer Carpenter. Loosely based on the true story of Anneliese Michel, the film switches back and forth from the legal drama to flashbacks of Emily Rose’s descent into possible possession. The film is the perfect depiction of the opposing dichotomy between science and faith-based beliefs, whilst still being an absolutely terrifying portrayal of the physical effects of demonic possession. 

6. Killer Sofa (2019)

Directed By Bernie Rao

It’s not only people that can be possessed! New Zealand’s low budget horror comedy Killer Sofa sees a recliner chair become animated through being possessed by a dybukk, a malicious spirit from Jewish mythology that is formed from the soul of a displaced dead person. The dybukk infested Eazy-Boy stalks an ex-love, murdering anyone that gets too close, eventually coming up against a disgraced rabbi and his voodoo practicing partner. Killer Sofa, despite it’s ridiculous premise, is a highly enjoyable romp, a perfect depiction of New Zealand humour.

7. Alucarda (1977)

Directed by Juan López Moctezuma

Alucarda or it’s elongated title of Alucarda, Daughter of Darkness is a 1977 English language film from Mexico. Despite it being a loose adaptation of the Sheridan Le Fanu vampire novella, Carmilla, it is very much a film about possession. Two young teenage girls who reside in a Catholic convent unleash demonic forces and eventually become possessed. Due to it’s convent setting, it has been thought of as part of the 1970s fondness for nunsploitation movies. 

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8. The Conjuring (2013)

Directed By James Wan

The first entry into James Wan’s Conjuring Universe, The Conjuring (2013) follows the wife and husband demon fighting team of Ed and Lorraine Warren, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga. Just like a lot of other possession films, The Conjuring is based on the somewhat true case of the Perron family and their haunted Rhode Island house, that the real Warrens investigated. In the film, the Perron family move their extensive family into a new house and in true haunted house tradition, begin to experience strange and disturbing phenomena, culminating in the possession of the family’s matriarch. The Conjuring cemented James Wan as the king of jump scares whilst portraying the witch Bathsheba as the possessing spirit. 

9. Hereditary (2018)

Directed by Ari Aster

Ari Aster’s directorial debut follows miniature artist Annie (Toni Colette) as she goes through the paces of mourning the recent death of her mother. Before she can even process her grief, her family is struck with a sudden and terrible tragedy, leaving Annie on the brink of sanity, and her son Peter (Alex Wolff) bearing the brunt of her despair and collapse of her mental health. As Annie struggles to deal with this, she soon begins to uncover family secrets that threaten her one surviving child. Examining the consequences of intergenerational trauma combined with demonic folklore, Hereditary was an instant hit, placing the possession subgenre of horror in an all too familiar environment. 

10. The Cleansing Hour (2019)

Directed by Damien LeVeck

A Shudder Original, The Cleansing Hour stars Kyle Gallner and Ryan Guzman as childhood friends who host a livestream show where Max (Guzman) exorcises a “possessed” person live on air. As Max becomes increasingly obsessed with viewing figures, they are forced to use Drew’s (Gallner) fiancée as an actor on an episode. As the show continues, it soon becomes apparent that Lane has actually become possessed. The Cleansing Hour is full of demonology lore, satiating even the most fervent of possession superfans, and is an interesting take on the genre in the era of social media and streaming platforms. 

11. Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Directed By Karyn Kusama

An underrated teen-based horror when initially released, Jennifer’s Body is steadily becoming a modern cult fan favourite. After being involved in a satanic ritual, Jennifer (Megan Fox) is not quite herself and it is up to her best friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried) to try and stop her from devouring all the boys in their high school. Taking on a succubus angle when it comes to possession, the demonic highschool drama, written by Diablo Cody, has become an iconic movie in the wake of the MeToo movement, as well as its depiction of bisexuality. 

12. The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)

Directed by Gavin Robitel

Another possession film that utilises the popular found footage medium, The Taking of Deborah Logan is set up as an investigative documentary exploring the effects of Alzheimers on a patient and their family members. That patient is Deborah Logan (Jill Larson) and as the film crew document her everyday life, they soon begin to suspect there’s a more sinister play at hand rather than a degenerative disease affecting Deborah and her behaviour. Expertly using the found footage techniques, The Taking of Deborah Logan is a terrifying examination of Alzheimer’s, without feeling too exploitative of a sensitive topic. 

13. Şeytan (1974)

Directed By Metin Erksan

Şeytan from 1974 is a Turkish cult film, which is more than loosely based on Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973) , in fact, it basically outright plagiarises it! Directed by Metin Erksan, it revolves around a 12-year-old girl who becomes possessed after playing with a ouija board, and it is up to her high society mother to help her fight her demons. 

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