Fallen

Denzel Washington plays a homicide detective on the hunt for the most cunning killer he’s ever encountered – a demon named Azazel. Passing from host to host simply by touching them, Azazel makes a game of toying with detectives until their lives are in shambles. It’s hard to point out just one terrifying possession in this film, when the killer could be anyone at any time.

Prince Of Darkness

John Carpenter combines the themes that worked so well for him in The Thing and Assault On Precinct 13 for the possession film, Prince Of Darkness. A group of academic researchers become trapped in a church surrounded by possessed vagrants when the mysterious liquid they are studying becomes sentient and escapes. It soon becomes clear that the liquid is an evil ooze attempting to release the “anti-God” and bring about the apocalypse, possessing and melting the skin off anyone in its way in the process.

Jason Goes To Hell

To this day, nobody is really sure what exactly Jason Voorhees is. Some say demon, some say mutant, some say smelly guy that walks around the woods and kills any sign of life he finds. In one of his alleged final appearances, the hockey-masked killer had his lore expanded with a supernatural twist. After being blown to pieces by the FBI in the film’s opening moments, Jason’s remains are sent off to a lab for autopsy. However, his heart begins to beat on its own, hypnotizing the pathologist which leads him to take a huge, gnarly bite from it. The killings begin again when Jason assumes the form of his host and embarks on a mission to kill and possess the last member of the Voorhees bloodline.

The Last Exorcism

Presented as another found-footage horror film, naysayers who had grown tired of the device were pleasantly surprised to find a solid, twisted (literally) film in The Last Exorcism. The plot follows a sham exorcist who bites off more than he can chew when he takes on the case of a teenage girl named Nell. Of the film’s many terrifying and brutal scenes, one that stands out above the others is when the demon Abalam contorts and bends Nell’s body at angles that I still see when I close my eyes at night.

The Amityville Horror

Though typically priced to move, no good can come of living in a murder house. As the Lutz family learned in The Amityville Horror. Based on a true story that is now widely dismissed as a hoax, the film follows the family’s account of the strange happenings they experienced after moving into a house that was once the scene of a mass murder. Like the family’s patriarch regularly awaking in the middle of the night and wandering out to the boathouse. My guess whether or not the dad was possessed depends on if they found a stash of Playboys in the boathouse.

Evil Dead 2

Sam Raimi seems to have a thing for hands and that is displayed upfront in his most famous and iconic scene. From Evil Dead 2, Bruce Campbell’s Ash has lost control of his hand. It has become possessed by evil and is intent on murdering him. He literally cuts his problem off at the wrist thanks to a conveniently placed chainsaw. I’ve done far more grotesque things with my hand but this is still a really intense scene.

The Exorcist

The most influential film in the genre. Maybe there were movies about demonic possession before “The Exorcist,” maybe there weren’t. Just like there may have been chocolate bars before Hershey, or rock bands before The Beatles. The Exorcist, with its absolutely and unbendingly realistic tone, is widely considered one of the scariest movies ever made. And it remains the first thing most people think about when they hear the words “demonic possession.” Unless of course they’re unlucky enough to actually know someone who’s been possessed by a demon.

In addition to Microsoft Kinect-centric scares, the new trailer for Paranormal Activity 4 also sets us up a bit more with the film’s plot. After a demonically-possessed woman is sent to the hospital, her kidnapped nephew is left to stay with the neighbors (Nevada law). From there, the camera and technology obsessed family notice strange happenings occuring around their young houseguest. If this family values their chandeliers and furniture AT ALL, they’ll turn that kid over to the proper authorities asap.

Still, the film provides society a valuable service by educating us about the dangers of demonic possession. Ever wonder if you or a loved one might be possessed? Check out the films below and you might find your answer.

Burnt Offerings

We all feel the need to get away every once and a while but it’s important to do your research first. The Rolf Family was so eager to get out of the city in Burnt Offerings, that they agreed to live alongside a creepy old lady in their vacation rental. First of all, I’m not paying good money for any property that entails I feed a creepy old attic lady. Secondly, if I rent a house that ends up trying to possess my wife, I want my deposit back.

The Exorcist

Maybe there were movies about demonic possession before “The Exorcist,” maybe there weren’t. Just like there may have been chocolate bars before Hershey, or rock bands before The Beatles. What difference does it make? “The Exorcist,” with its absolutely and unbendingly realistic tone, is widely considered one of the scariest movies ever made. And it remains the first thing most people think about when they hear the words “demonic possession.” Unless of course they’re unlucky enough to actually know someone who’s been possessed by a demon.

The Evil Dead

Almost as legendary is Sam Raimi’s “The Evil Dead.” A word of warning: If you only know Sam Raimi by his later, more humorous horror movies (like “Evil Dead II” or “Drag Me to Hell“), you may be surprised by how scary “The Evil Dead” really is. In it, Loveable Ash and a group of friends travel to an isolated cabin in the woods, where they make the completely-rational decision to read the Necronomicon out loud, which causes all sorts of demons to descend upon them and wreak havoc. It’s pretty unpleasant.

Twitch of the Death Nerve

The killer in Mario Bava’s “Twitch of the Death Nerve” (also known as “Bay of Blood”) isn’t explicitly a demon – but if you’ve got a better word for a kind of amorphous evil force that takes control of people and forces them to kill their loved ones and acquaintances, please feel free to substitute it at your convenience. Often considered one of the first slasher movies, it’s also an unexpectedly subtle look at demon possession.

Paranormal Activity 3

Sure, both Paranormal Activity and Paranormal Activity 2 freaked us out with creepy possessions, but it’s the third film in the series that really brought the scares. And not just on account of the 1980′s fashions. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say it combined two genres of creepy films to make a creepier film — possession movies and scary children movies. I’ve refused to be in the same room with my young nieces ever since.

Lisa and the Devil

A more explicit look at Satan’s work on Earth from Mario Bava can be found in “Lisa and the Devil,” which as you can see from the title is explicitly about the Devil. And who better to bring Old Scratch himself to life than Telly Savalas? There’s something weird about that guy. Interestingly, the movie was given a makeover by the studio and released as an “Exorcist” knock-off entitled “House of Exorcism.” As knock-offs go, it’s pretty good, although not as good as:

The Exorcist III

After the alternating boredom and bafflement that accompanies watching “Exorcist II,” you could be forgiven for thinking “Exorcist III” is a creatively uninspired attempt to cash in on the original’s reputation. You’d be wrong, though – directed by William Peter Blatty, author of the original novel, it has a creepy and disturbing style all its own. But know this: You will not look as cool as Brad Dourif does if you get possessed by a demon. No one would.