The Top 10 Best Possession Movies

5. Sinister

Kids are super creepy on their own. Kids in possession movies are a whole other mess though. Sinister is about a demon known as Bughuul that slowly possesses children and convinces them to kill their families in incredibly screwed up ways. To make matters worse, Bughuul apparently has a side job making snuff films capturing the murders on 8mm film. Most of Sinister follows a writer/father trying to uncover the mystery behind the box of murder movies he finds in his attic and soon he finds himself regretting his curiosity. It’s a sobering reminder that kids are terrible little monsters that will kill you in your sleep the first chance they get. At least, that’s the message I got from it. Either way, this movie is pretty damn scary and proved Ethan Hawke is one hell of an actor.

4. Hereditary

What was easily the hardest to watch and most intense horror movies of 2018 also happens to be one of the best possession films I’ve seen in years. Hereditary starts with the funeral of a grandmother which is pretty sad. Unfortunately, as is the case in these situations, it soon turns out that grandma was involved in some pretty messed up things. Luckily they didn’t find any white robes in grandma’s closet, but the family does slowly discover that she was involved with a different kind of cult trying to resurrect a demon that would bring them untold riches and fortune. With grandma dead, the family has to deal with the cult trying to continue their work with terrifying results. This is a hard movie to get through, but the pay off is well worth it.

3. The Conjuring

One of the best haunted house movies of all time also manages to make Stars & Popcorn’s list of the best possession movies. Most of The Conjuring revolves around the haunting of a family, but as it enters the third act the evil spirit in the house decides to mix it up by moving into one of the family members. What ensues is an “amateur” exorcism at the hands of demonologist Ed and Lorraine Warren. This movie was so good that it gave birth to a shared cinematic universe of horror featuring spinoffs based on the haunted doll Annabelle and the demonic The Nun. It’s one of the best horror movies of the new millennium and one that you need to check out if you haven’t yet. A bit of advice if you do though, be sure to leave the lights on.

2. The Evil Dead/ Evil Dead II/ Evil Dead

There’s a bit of a tie for the number two spot on this list of the best possession movies since all the Evil Dead movies are kinda remakes. If you’re a fan of campy classic horror movies, then you’ll definitely want to check out the Bruce Campbell classic The Evil Dead (or even Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn). If you’re looking for a movie that will leave you shaken to your core, then the 2013 remake Evil Dead might be your best bet. Either way, if you’re looking for some great possession movies you can’t go wrong as long as “Evil Dead” is in the title. All of them feature a little cabin in the woods that houses an unspeakable evil just waiting to be released on the world, and every one of them features unwitting young adults who unleash said evil and have to battle it for the fate of the world. Oh, and usually a hand goes missing at one point or another.

1. The Exorcist

In all honesty, any list of the best possession movies that doesn’t include The Exorcist is automatically null and void. This isn’t one of those films that critics and film scholars cling to in a hopes to sound more credible due to their respect for movies from the good old days either. This is the real deal and a movie that will still make your hairs stand on end. The tale of Regan MacNeil and her head spinning, puke spewing, “your mother sucks cocks in hell” shouting antics are still the stuff of legend when it comes to the horror genre. Since it was made The Exorcist has become a pop culture powerhouse with references in more movies and tv shows than you can shake a stick at, and with good reason. When it comes to possession movies this is the best of the best and a must watch classic.

Honorable Mention: Insidious

Insidious is a long-running film franchise that has developed a bit of a cult following. While I was never as enamored with them as so many horror fans are, I couldn’t go without giving it an honorable mention. These might not be the best possession movies out there, but they’re filled with memorable moments that will make you leap out of your skin in fright.

The list of possession movies out there is a long one. While I put together a collection of the best 10 I’ve ever seen, I’m sure there are plenty of other great ones out there. So if you have a suggestion for possession movies I should check out to add to this list, leave a comment below. As always, I’ll be updating this list as more movies hit theaters, so be sure to check back from time to time to see how the rankings change. In the meantime, avoid evil books wrapped in human skin and upside down crosses… Unless the demons out there want to read over this list, then let them take you out for a spin.