30 Best Demonic Possession Movies, Ranked

Of all the different types of horror movies out there, those that focus on demonic possession have proven continually popular over the years. Regardless of whether one believes in the supernatural, the idea of a demonic entity or some kind of spirit entering one’s body is a frightening one. This kind of horror works because losing control of oneself is inherently scary, and when it’s a demon doing the possessing, chances are their reasons for taking control aren’t going to help the person in question.

Demonic possession movies are also notable for being popular throughout the world, with this kind of horror being mixed with various cultures and folklore, which keeps such films interesting and not feeling stale. It also shows that the idea of being possessed is an unsettling one on a global scale, with the following best possession movies – ranked below from worst to best – demonstrating the various ways this kind of supernatural terror has been portrayed in cinema. Possession horror movies and films about exorcisms aren’t going out of style anytime soon, and any time is the perfect time to dive into some of the best ones.

30 ‘Evil Dead Rise’ (2023)

Directed by Lee Cronin

While it’s not the best movie to carry the Evil Dead name, Evil Dead Rise is still a good deal better than you’d expect it to be, and an arguable improvement on the other non-Sam RaimiEvil Dead movie from 2013. Rather than a cabin in the woods, Evil Dead Rise mixes things up by taking place largely inside an apartment complex, which proves to be often just as claustrophobic as a cabin would.

There are people getting possessed, jump scares, and some sequences of very gnarly violence and bloodshed; all things you’d expect from an Evil Dead movie that isn’t Army of Darkness. Evil Dead Rise keeps things simple but ultimately satisfies, feeling so familiar and satisfying that it’s the closest a demonic possession movie will probably ever come to being like a warm hug.

29 ‘Immaculate’ (2024)

Directed by Michael Mohan

Plenty of movies about demonic possession also happen to be movies that deal with religious themes, and Immaculate belongs in such a camp. It’s about possession and it also deals with religious horror pretty full-on, given it’s mostly set in a convent in Italy, with the main characters being the nuns who live there.

The central character is a newcomer to said convent, and while there, unusual things keep happening to her and around her, eventually suggesting that something fishy is going on within this isolated and seemingly peaceful countryside location. The premise of Immaculate is one that very easily gives way to horror of a particular flavor, meaning it’s hard to praise the film necessarily for being original. Then again, there are conventions that often get followed when it comes to movies about demonic possession, and at least Immaculate follows such conventions perhaps not immaculately, but fairly well.

28 ‘Event Horizon’ (1997)

Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson

Demonic possessions alongside religious horror? That can be fairly expected stuff. But a demonic possession movie with a sci-fi spin? That’s something more novel, and a big reason why Event Horizon – despite its flaws – proves so memorable. It’s set in the future and in space, following astronauts as they travel to a ship that went missing several years earlier.

Uncovering what made it disappear leads to some unsettling discoveries, with Event Horizon being at its best when it’s at its most brazen. There are parts that are genuinely quite shocking, and there’s a certain creative spark to the whole thing; a thrill in seeing this kind of horror take place in such a setting. Other parts of Event Horizon don’t work quite as well, but it’s an ambitious movie – and a minor cult classic of sorts – where the strengths outweigh the weaknesses.

27 ‘Constantine’ (2005)

Directed by Francis Lawrence

Constantine, like Event Horizon, also earns some points for being a unique take on demonic possession-related horror. This Keanu Reeves-starring movie also works as a fantasy/action flick, and technically counts as a superhero movie of sorts, too, as it follows a man who’s able to travel between Hell and Earth while also having the ability to battle demons.

It’s fairly mild as far as demonic possession movies go, watering things down enough to make it broadly appealing – and only slightly scary – so as to not alienate those more interested in seeing a Keanu Reeves action movie. Constantine‘s a film that’s become a little more appreciated as time has gone on, being perhaps a little too young to be a full-on cult classic in the traditional sense, but certainly feeling as though it’s on its way there to attaining such a label.

26 ‘Late Night with the Devil’ (2023)

Directed by Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes

While it wasn’t the first movie to combine a found footage format with demonic possession-related horror, Late Night with the Devil does have enough novelty to its presentation to be a distinctive viewing experience. The premise is nice and simple, being about a late-night talk show that has various guests related to paranormal activities on one night, which eventually leads to genuine terror and possible possessions.

Late Night with the Devil is one of the more exciting and interesting horror movies of the 2020s so far, not hitting it out of the park entirely but taking enough risks that pay off to make it an engaging and memorable watch. It does a great deal with a modest budget and a confined setting, and has an approach that makes it more than worthwhile for anyone who feels a bit burnt out by films about demonic possession and/or the found footage sub-genre.

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25 ‘The Last Exorcism’ (2010)

Directed by Daniel Stamm

It may be called The Last Exorcism, but this 2010 horror film is far from the last exorcism-related movie, because the formula such films follow is just too reliable. It can’t even be called the last of the movies called The Last Exorcism either, seeing as in 2013, it got a sequel with the somewhat amusing title of The Last Exorcism Part II.

It’s a solid enough exorcism-themed movie for those who like that kind of thing, and does manage to stand out through also being a found footage horror movie. In the end, two popular sub-genres of horror combine here to make something pretty decent overall.

24 ‘Noroi: The Curse’ (2005)

Directed by Kōji Shiraishi

Kōji Shiraishi is a Japanese director who specializes in making horror movies, and he combined horror with crime to great effect in the underrated and very unsettling A Record of Sweet Murder. 2005’s Noroi: The Curse is perhaps his most famous movie, though, and something of a modern J-horror classic (known among the best demon movies ever made).

It’s about a mysterious demon called the “kagutaba,” and follows a documentary filmmaker as he sets out to explore numerous cases linked to this alleged entity. It’s less about delivering a strict plot and more about bombarding the viewer with various unsettling scenes that are shown in a found footage style, ultimately making things feel a little more tangible and effectively skin-crawling.

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23 ‘The Medium’ (2021)

Directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun

Though South Korean horror films might not be as popular as J-horror, it’s certainly become more recognized in recent years. 2021’s The Medium half-qualifies, because it was a Thai and South Korean co-production, but the film is set in Thailand and features Thai dialogue.

It’s another possession movie that incorporates a mockumentary/found footage style (they don’t all do this, by the way!), following a family that has one member of every generation inherit shaman powers through a spirit that enters their body. Complications arise, however, when a young girl in the family finds herself negatively impacted by such a spirit, leading to everyone else needing to find out how they can rid her body of the negative influence. It uses well-worn tropes in a unique setting and with less well-known mythology behind it, ensuring The Medium still has plenty to offer for horror veterans.

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22 ‘Fallen’ (1998)

Directed by Gregory Hoblit

Fallen is the rare movie about possession that isn’t fully definable as one that belongs to the horror genre, with it being more of a particularly dark crime/thriller. It follows a homicide detective who notices a series of killings similar to those committed by a notorious serial murderer… who was shown being executed at the start of the film.

Things take a turn towards the supernatural, but the idea that others might have been possessed by the spirit of a killer isn’t played for horror as much as you’d expect. Still, this at least gives Fallen a chance to stand out from the crowd, and it’s also worth checking out for the strength of its cast, which includes Denzel Washington, John Goodman, and James Gandolfini.

21 ‘Demons’ (1985)

Directed by Lamberto Bava

The 1980s housed too many iconic horror movies to count, and that can lead to something with a title as generic as Demons potentially slipping under the radar. The film is similarly simple, but in no way can the execution be called generic, because Demons is a blast to watch, making up for a lack of scares by just being super entertaining.

It’s an Italian film about various people who get invited to a cinema to watch a strange new horror movie, only for something among them to begin attacking and possessing the viewers one by one. Most of it takes place inside the cinema, and the unique setting is creatively used throughout, making for a no-nonsense and wonderfully over-the-top viewing experience.

20 ‘House’ (1977)

Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi

A cult classic that ranks among 1977’s best films, House is a loopy and unpredictable movie like no other out there. At its core, it is a haunted house movie about a group of young people who get possessed by some strange force within said house after they go to stay in it, but it’s the style and presentation that makes it distinct.

House has its own strange logic or lack thereof, and ends up feeling more like an absurd/surreal comedy with a few light horror elements, rather than something that’ll keep viewers up all night in fright. But there’s nothing wrong with that for those who like horror mixed with comedy, and when it comes to films that blend those two genres, few have as much fun doing so as House does.

19 ‘Jennifer’s Body’ (2009)

Directed by Karyn Kusama

While Jennifer’s Body wasn’t exactly a well-reviewed movie when it first came out, viewers in more recent years have been kinder to it, and its critical reputation has improved dramatically. Maybe there was just an inherent negativity on the part of many towards Megan Fox, but she turns in a genuinely good performance here as the titular Jennifer.

It’s set in high school, and follows two friends who find themselves at odds after one of them begins behaving quite strangely, showing signs that she’s possibly been possessed. It mixes comedy and horror, ultimately prioritizing the former, but still provides a good deal of effective horror scenes and a final act that has some surprising emotional depth to it.

18 ‘Evil Dead II’ (1987)

Directed by Sam Raimi

Upping the mayhem found in the first film, and giving everything a decidedly more comedic spin, Evil Dead II would have to be one of the greatest horror sequels in history. In a way, it also serves as a semi-remake of the 1981 original, beginning by recapping that first film and then subsequently having a narrative with many similar sequences and story beats.

It’s as much of a remix as a sequel, and that’s one of the things that makes it such a deservedly beloved 1980s comedy/horror movie. Like the first (and the other Evil Dead movies that followed it), it’s also a great example of possession horror, given Ash Williams has to continue battling other people who’ve been taken over by an evil (and sometimes quite mischievous) demonic entity.

17 ‘The Exorcist III’ (1990)

Directed by William Peter Blatty

The third movie in the Exorcist series, The Exorcist III was released 17 years after the iconic original, and 13 years after the less beloved Exorcist II: The Heretic. According to most horror fans, the former is essential and the latter is skippable, but The Exorcist III makes for a surprisingly good follow-up.

It’s notable for being directed by William Peter Blatty, who wrote the novel the original film was based on and also adapted it into a screenplay. It’s not a direct sequel, but works well as an extension of some of the ideas/themes explored in that first film, and overall makes for a strong threequel that’s held in high regard, even though it’s not viewed as a movie that quite equals the original.

16 ‘Sinister’ (2012)

Directed by Scott Derrickson

Demonic possession movies have proven particularly popular within the last decade or two, and Sinister reflects that, as one of the best-known of the 2010s. It’s not a found footage movie, but follows a true-crime novelist who views “found footage” while trying to piece together the details of a grisly crime that occurred in his house.

His investigation ends up getting him on the wrong side of a demonic entity, and then he and his family end up getting into serious danger. It’s a compelling film from director Scott Derrickson, who’s since gone on to direct the first Doctor Strange (not a horror movie) and The Black Phone (which is a horror movie, but not one that’s heavy on possession elements).

15 ‘Drag Me to Hell’ (2009)

Directed by Sam Raimi

Admittedly, Drag Me to Hell doesn’t commit to demonic possession quite as much as the movies from Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy, but this 2009 horror movie from the filmmaker does certainly flirt with possession. The premise follows a woman who finds herself fighting for her life after she gets a curse placed on her by an older woman.

It goes to some pretty wild and grisly places, all the while also having a dark sense of humor, which one would expect from a Sam Raimi movie like this. For dealing with supernatural horror, centering around a terrible curse, and having other frightening aspects most found in demonic possession movies, it can arguably count as one of the greats within this sub-genre.

14 ‘Ju-on: The Grudge’ (2002)

Directed by Takashi Shimizu

Despite being more than 20 years old at this point, 2002’s Ju-on: The Grudge still packs a pretty serious punch when it comes to being a creepy film about possession. There are also plenty of movies that belong to the Ju-on/Grudge series, but this is quite often regarded as the best of the bunch.

It centers on a strange house that appears to contain a particularly vengeful spirit, with anyone who stays in the house ultimately finding themselves haunted/possessed. It’s a very low-key kind of horror film where the more subtle elements end up being the creepiest, with everything adding up to make Ju-on: The Grudge rather unsettling.

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13 ‘Insidious’ (2010)

Directed by James Wan

Insidious has become a franchise since the original in 2010, with it now having four sequels, including a fifth movie that’s slated for release in 2023. Like a good number of horror movie franchises, it’s the original that tends to be held up as the best of the lot.

It’s sort of like a home invasion movie, except the invaders are supernatural and capable of possessing the entire family that lives within their selected house. It’s expertly directed by Australian filmmaker James Wan, who’s right at home being behind the camera for a horror movie like this, and it overall delivers all the scares (ones that make you jump or otherwise) that you’d expect from such a film.

12 ‘Prince of Darkness’ (1987)

Directed by John Carpenter

John Carpenter‘s filmography might not be the most consistent one in the world, but it’s certainly an interesting and varied one. Many of his films are a little underrated or not quite as well-known as they deserve to be, with 1987’s Prince of Darkness qualifying as one such movie, given it’s not talked about as often as The Thing, Halloween, or They Live.

The plot follows a team of researchers making an unsettling discovery inside an abandoned church, with what they uncover potentially spelling doom for humanity as a whole. But before then, it also spells doom for the researchers themselves, with the horror coming from the way a mysterious force within the church takes control of certain characters, arguably not dissimilar to the way a team of researchers found themselves taken over by an alien creature in The Thing, released five years earlier.

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11 ‘Pulse’ (2001)

Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Though technology has changed a great deal since 2001, there’s still something very unsettling about the way Pulse utilizes the internet for much of the film’s horror. The plot is mystery-heavy, and depicts what seems to be a particularly dangerous (and haunted) computer virus that’s able to control internet users who come into contact with it.

It might sound preposterous, but the way the film presents this premise is suitably unnerving and likely to get under the skin of most who choose to watch it. Also, the fact it uses technology in such a direct way sets it apart from other horror movies about demonic entities taking control of people, with Pulse‘s mood and overall visual aesthetic being effectively disturbing.

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