Too Scary 2 Watch!: Best Religious Horror Films

Religious Horror Movies

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50 Movies and Counting...

Religious Horror Movies and Religious Supernatural Thrillers

TOO SCARY 2 WATCH now presents a list of the top religious horror films (arranged by year) that we believe may be worth checking out, if you love religious themed movies like we do! The list will continue to be modified and updated as we continue to find more movies that we feel are worthy of adding.

The Devil, Exorcisms, Crosses, Churches, Catholic Priests and more!

Our goal was to create a list of "Christianity themed" religious horror films and supernatural thrillers (mainly movies consisting of things like Jesus Christ, The Church, Satan, satanic and demonic possession, exorcisms and so on ... with a few exceptions of course). We've decided to exclude all religious thrillers that aren't supernaturally based (for example, Se7en and Resurrection).

It can be argued whether some of the movies on the list belong in the religious horror category ... nevertheless, we've include some that definitely fit the bill, along with others that may be open for interpretation.

Also Checkout Our Ghost Movie Lists?

Proceed to Best Ghost Movies of the 2000's
Proceed to Best Asian Ghost Movies - (1998-2012)
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Disclaimer

Not all of the movies on the list, in our opinion, are good movies, but were chosen to be included for a variety of different reasons.

Thanks and enjoy!

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1. Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow), the young wife of a struggling actor (John Cassavetes), is thrilled to find out she's pregnant. But the larger her belly grows, the more certain she becomes that her unborn child is in serious danger. Perhaps there's something sinister behind the odd enthusiasm her eccentric neighbors (Sidney Blackmer and Ruth Gordon, in an Oscar-winning performance) have for her welfare. Or perhaps it's all in her mind.

Director: Roman Polanski

R-Rated

136 mins

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2. The Exorcist (1973)

When movie actress Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn) begins to suspect that an evil spirit is possessing her young daughter, Regan (Linda Blair), she calls in two priests (Max von Sydow and Jason Miller) to try and exorcise the demon against frightening and formidable odds. Writer William Peter Blatty scored an Academy Award for his big-screen adaptation of his own novel; the film also won an Oscar for Best Sound.

Director: William Friedkin

R-Rated

121 mins

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3. The Wicker Man (1973)

Pious detective Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) gets more than he bargained for when he probes a young girl's disappearance in this harrowing psychological thriller. An anonymous tip sends Howie to a private island off the Scottish coast, where the Christian constable encounters a populace of … modern pagans. As he dauntlessly follows a string of tantalizing and progressively disturbing clues, the trail leads him to a shocking conclusion.

Director: Robin Hardy

R-Rated

88 mins

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4. Exorcismo (1975)

A young woman unknowingly takes part in a satanic ritual and ends up possessed by the spirit of her dead father. Enter Father Adrian Dunny (Paul Naschy), who must ward off the evil spirit -- while also warding off the girl's seductive advances. Spanish filmmaker Juan Bosch gives a Spanish flavor to The Exorcist in this horror shocker, complete with projectile vomit, vile curses and twisting heads.

Director: Juan Bosch

Not-Rated

90 mins

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5. The Omen (1976)

Robert (Gregory Peck) and Katherine (Lee Remick) Thorn raise a boy, Damien (Harvey Stephens), in place of their stillborn infant, and all is well until it is foretold that Damien is the spawn of the devil. Soon, Robert is pitted against the forces of Hell and must make a fateful decision. Richard Donner directs; Billie Whitelaw, David Warner, Patrick Troughton and Martin Benson co-star in this classic scary tale.

Director: Richard Donner

R-Rated

110 mins

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6. Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

Intent on discovering why Regan (Linda Blair) was possessed by the demon Pazuzu, Father Lamont (Richard Burton) travels to Africa in search of another who was once possessed by the same demon -- and learns that Pazuzu traverses the world via locusts. But when Father Lamont returns to New York, he discovers Pazuzu has reached Regan again through Dr. Gene Tuskin's (Louise Fletcher) hypnosis machine.

Director: John Boorman

R-Rated

118 mins

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7. The Sentinel (1977)

Model Alison Parker (Cristina Raines) gets a great deal on a Brooklyn, N.Y., apartment -- but there's just one catch: It's also the gateway to Hell, and she's on the invite list. Universal's answer to The Exorcist features special makeup effects by Dick Smith and a stellar supporting cast: Chris Sarandon, Burgess Meredith, Jose Ferrer, Sylvia Miles, John Carradine, Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum, Ava Gardner and Tom Berenger.

Director: Michael Winner

R-Rated

91 mins

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8. Damien: The Omen II (1978)

Seven years after Damien Thorn's dad tried to slay him, the demon child has grown into an angry teenager (Jonathan Scott-Taylor) now living with his aunt (Lee Grant) and uncle (William Holden) -- and now Damien is slowly learning of his unholy heritage. Anyone who suspects the truth or stands in the way of his corporate legacy meets a gruesome end. But when the bodies pile up, Damien's uncle sees the light and plots the death of his satanic nephew.

Director: Don Taylor

R-Rated

107 mins

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9. Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)

Satan's son has grown up in this second sequel to the 1976 horror hit. Now in his 30s, Damien Thorn is leader of the world's largest corporation. But his plans for world domination hit a snag when he spots an omen of his archrival's second coming.

Director: Graham Baker

R-Rated

108 mins

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10. Angel Heart (1987)

Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke), a down-and-out 1950s Brooklyn gumshoe, is hired by shady Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) to locate a pop singer who reneged on a debt. Each time Harry makes contact with someone who might know the singer's whereabouts, though, he or she is killed in a horrible, ritualistic fashion. Harry's journey soon leads him to the sweltering, voodoo-filled swamps of Louisiana in search of a Satanic cult. Lisa Bonet co-stars.

Director: Alan Parker

R-Rated

113 mins

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11. Prince of Darkness (1987)

A cylinder of mysterious, green liquid is found in an abandoned church. It may contain the ultimate evil: an ancient iniquity that longs to escape. Several physicists try to comprehend what's happening and race to save the world, even as they're being turned into zombies one by one. Director John Carpenter fills Prince of Darkness with his trademark mix of horror and humor.

Director: John Carpenter

R-Rated

102 mins

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12. The Seventh Sign (1988)

Demi Moore plays Abby, a pregnant woman with a curious new boarder in the apartment over her garage. Turns out he's heaven-sent and is speeding along the Apocalypse by bloodying rivers, egging on plagues and following scripture word for word. As the nosy and nearly-to-term Abby uncovers her tenant's secrets, she finds out her role in bringing about the seventh sign. This drama's popularity stems from Moore's turn, which smoothes over plot holes.

Director: Carl Schultz

R-Rated

97 mins

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13. The Exorcist III (1990)

William Peter Blatty, who wrote the original novel The Exorcist and the Oscar-winning screenplay, writes and directs Part 3, which is based on his novel Legion. When a supernatural serial killer strikes again, police detective Bill Kinderman (George C. Scott, taking over Lee J. Cobb's role from the first film) investigates. The original's Father Damien, Jason Miller, returns in a guest role.

Director: William Peter Blatty

R-Rated

110 mins

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14. The First Power (1990)

Det. Russell Logan breathes a sigh of relief upon the capture and execution of a serial murderer known as the Pentagram Killer. But Logan's work is far from finished when he discovers that the murderer has transferred his soul into a living body.

Director: Robert Resnikoff

R-Rated

98 mins

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15. Mister Frost (1990)

Frost is arrested and committed for murder after he is apprehended burying his victims in the garden. However, even while under psychiatric care and tight hospital security, it becomes obvious that Mr. Frost is not all he seems to be, but he is dangerous nonetheless.

Director: Philippe Setbon

R-Rated

104 mins

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16. The Prophecy (1995)

Angels have no souls, but men do. And dark angel Gabriel (Christopher Walken) -- angry because God has allowed humans into heaven -- descends to earth to capture the most evil human soul he can find, planning to use it to defeat his enemies in an apocalyptic battle. While a good-hearted angel (Eric Stoltz) hides the soul in the body of a little girl, a detective (Elias Koteas) on earth tracks Gabriel's every move.

Director: Gregory Widen

R-Rated

97 mins

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17. The Devil's Advocate (1997)

When charismatic lawyer John Milton (Al Pacino) recruits the successful young attorney Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) to his high-powered Manhattan firm, both Kevin and his wife (Charlize Theron) find life on Park Avenue seductive. That is, until strange things begin to happen. By the time the pair begins questioning John's plans and who -- or what -- Kevin actually works for, it might be too late in director Taylor Hackford's creepy thriller.

Director: Taylor Hackford

R-Rated

144 mins

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18. Fallen (1998)

Assigned to nab a killer before he or she strikes again, tough homicide detective John Hobbes (Denzel Washington) knows he's on a dangerous assignment -- and one for which he's uniquely suited. But there's more to it than he realizes. Turns out he's not just up against a killer: He must face an evil spirit that can morph from one innocent bystander to the next. John Goodman and Embeth Davidtz also star.

Director: Gregory Hoblit

R-Rated

124 mins

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19. The Prophecy II (1998)

Kicked out of his asylum in hell, fallen angel Gabriel (Christopher Walken) continues his revolution, in which bad angels seek to destroy good ones -- along with all humanity. The only hope for deliverance is the unborn child of nurse Valerie Rosales (Jennifer Beals). With help from the angel Danyael (Russell Wong), Valerie races to safeguard her baby and save humankind in this taut sequel to the 1995 cult hit

Director: Greg Spence

R-Rated

87 mins

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20. End of Days (1999)

Burned-out ex-cop Jericho Cane is suddenly tasked with saving the world when Satan takes over the body of a Wall Street banker in a bid to mate with an innocent woman before the millennium's end, thus setting off Armageddon.

Director: Peter Hyams

R-Rated

121 mins

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21. The Ninth Gate (1999)

An all-expenses-paid international search for a rare copy of The Nine Gates of the Shadow Kingdom brings an unscrupulous book dealer (Johnny Depp) deep into a world of murder, double-dealing and satanic worship. Director Roman Polanski (Rosemary's Baby) creates a richly textured gothic mystery where the hunter becomes the hunted and the devil must be paid his due.

Director: Roman Polanski

R-Rated

133 mins

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22. Stigmata (1999)

Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette) doesn't believe in God, the Bible or religious phenomena … until her hands and feet start to bleed, showing signs of the stigmata. Alerted to Frankie's paranormal experience, the Vatican sends Rev. Andrew Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne) to investigate. Kiernan soon confronts his own crisis of faith: Should he help Frankie avoid an untimely death, or save the church from disaster?

Director: Rubert Wainwright

R-Rated

102 mins

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23. Blessed the Child (2000)

Kim Basinger stars as psychiatric nurse Maggie O'Connor, whose ordinary life becomes anything but routine as she gets swept up in a murder mystery involving the supernatural after a satanic cult leader kidnaps her 6-year-old niece.

Director: Chuck Russell

R-Rated

107 mins

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24. The Calling (2000)

Newlywed Kristie St. Clair (Laura Harris) has a baby with her handsome news reporter husband, Marc (Richard Lintern). But as her son, Dylan (Alex Row-Brown), grows up, she notices his creepy behavior, strange abilities and evil tendencies. As her suspicions grow, Kristie ends up horrified by her own son and Marc -- who she fears is part of a cult. Even worse, Kristie believes Dylan may actually be the Antichrist who will usher in the Apocalypse.

Director: Richard Caesar

Not-Rated

89 mins

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25. Lost Souls (2000)

Maya (Winona Ryder) uncovers a satanic plot, but can she prevent the devil from taking over an innocent soul ... and then, the world? Ben Chaplin is charming as the best-selling author who learns that Satan has plans to get between him and his Calvins. Janusz Kaminski, the Academy Award-winning cinematographer of Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan, makes his directorial debut in this moody, chilling thriller.

Director: Janusz Kaminski

R-Rated

97 mins

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26. The Prophecy 3: The Ascent (2000)

Pyriel, the evil angel of genocide, has risen to power and is on a mission to destroy all of humankind. The only one who can stop him is the half-human, half-angel Danyael, who seeks help from fallen angel Gabriel.

Director: Patrick Lussier

R-Rated

84 mins

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27. Frailty (2002)

Fenton Meiks (Matthew McConaughey) approaches FBI agent Wesley Doyle (Powers Boothe) to confess his disturbed family's role in a series of notorious Texas murders in this gripping thriller, which is actor Bill Paxton's directorial feature debut. Meiks's long-tormented conscience unleashes a twisted tale of his father's (Paxton) crazed and abusive behavior and his younger brother's blind complicity. Levi Kreis co-stars as teenage Fenton.

Director: Bill Paxton

R-Rated

99 mins

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28. The Order (2003)

When an ex-priest is brutally murdered, his body inscribed with Aramaic religious symbols, detectives enlist the help of Father Alex Bernier (Heath Ledger), a rebel priest, to decipher the meaning of the symbols and solve the crime. The main suspect is the Sin Eater, an ancient figure who claims to have the power to absolve the sins of the unforgivable -- but only through death. Shannyn Sossamon and Mark Addy co-star.

Director: Brian Helgeland

R-Rated

102 mins

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29. Blessed (2004)

A young woman (Heather Graham) is impregnated with the devil's spawn in this horror tale. Anxious to become parents, a young couple's dreams come true when they're given the funds to pay for an expensive fertility treatment. But the joyous couple soon learns that their medical-miracle twins are actually the devil's children. James Purefoy, Fionnula Flanagan, David Hemmings and William Hootkins also star.

Director: Simon Fellows

R-Rated

98 mins

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30. Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)

Sent to Africa at the close of World War II to tend to the needs of the local community, Father Lankester Merrin (Stellan Skarsgard) gets more than he ever bargained for when he has his first brush with a devilish force known simply as Pazuzu. Director Renny Harlin traces the roots of evil in this prequel to the 1973 box office smash. Izabella Scorupco, James D'Arcy and Ben Cross co-star.

Director: Renny Harlin

R-Rated

114 mins

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31. An American Haunting (2005)

Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek star as tormented heads of household in this haunting period drama, based on the only documented case in U.S. history in which a spirit was determined to have caused a man's death.

Director: Courtney Solomon

Un-Rated

83 mins

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32. Constantine (2005)

John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is a private investigator who believes in things that go bump in the night -- an unconventional quirk that makes him somewhat of an eccentric personality in a world ruled largely by logic. When a female cop (Rachel Weisz) seeks his counsel after her twin sister dies in what first appears to be a suicide, she wants definitive proof of the cause of death. But the answers might only come with blind faith.

Director: Francis Lawrence

R-Rated

121 mins

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33. Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)

Years before exorcising the devil from Regan MacNeil, Father Merrin (Stellan Skarsgård) experiences a crisis of faith, leaves the priesthood and heads to Africa on an archaeological expedition, where he unearths a perfectly preserved ancient church. The mysterious church, horrific events and the healing of a crippled boy (Billy Crawford) soon draw Merrin into a battle against pure evil in this creepy prequel to the 1973 horror classic.

Director: Paul Schrader

R-Rated

117 mins

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34. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

Attorney Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) always manages to keep her emotions in check when she's in the middle of a case, but she finds herself unraveling when she decides to represent a priest (Tom Wilkinson) who's conducted an exorcism gone horribly awry. The highly charged case, in which Erin battles an overconfident state lawyer (Aaron Douglas) who thinks he has a slam dunk, leaves her questioning her life choices, career prospects and beliefs.

Director: Eric Derrickson

Unrated

121 mins

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35. The Omen (2006)

Grieving U.S. ambassador Robert Thorn (Liev Schreiber) brings home another baby to soften the blow when his wife, Katherine (Julia Stiles), loses their first child during labor. But as young Damien (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick) grows up, horrific things begin to happen as his devilish lineage asserts itself. Mia Farrow, David Thewlis and Pete Postlethwaite round out the cast in this chilling remake of the 1976 horror classic.

Director: John Moore

R-Rated

110 mins

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36. Requiem (2006)

Set in 1970s Germany, this taut drama from director Hans-Christian Schmid follows troubled 21-year-old Michaela Klingler (Sandra Huller), a devout Catholic whose epilepsy results in a tragic exorcism. Michaela is determined to get a college education regardless of her condition, but the pressures of school and sexual awakenings give rise to seizures that she ascribes to demonic possession. Based on a true story, the film also stars Imogen Kogge.

Director: Hans-Christian Schmid

TV-MA

93 mins

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37. The Reaping (2007)

In the wake of a devastating tragedy that killed every member of her family, Christian missionary Katherine Morrissey (Hilary Swank) loses her faith in God, devoting the rest of her life to debunking religious phenomena with the principles of science. But when she's called to a small Southern town to investigate a series of strange occurrences that appear to be biblical plagues, she runs out of logical explanations.

Director: Stephen Hopkins

R-Rated

99 mins

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38. From Within (2008)

When a rash of mysterious suicides strikes the idyllic burg of Grovetown, it galvanizes the faith of the largely Christian community, which staunchly clings to its evangelical beliefs. Convinced that the deaths are the work of something far more sinister than sheer fate, teenagers Lindsay and Aidan band together to unearth the real culprits and uncover a shocking revelation.

Director: Phedon Papamichael

R-Rated

89 mins

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39. The Haunting of Molly Hartley (2008)

Troubled by her mother's recent psychotic breakdown, Molly hopes to start fresh at a new school by befriending a fellow senior and trying her hand at being a regular kid. But the horrifying truth about her mother is destined to catch up with her.

Director: Mickey Liddell

PG-13

82 mins

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40. REC 2 (2009)

In this sequel to their 2007 horror hit [Rec], directors Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza take viewers back to the scene of the original nightmare -- a now-sealed-off apartment where a raging virus was unleashed on rescue workers. With camera once again in tow, a medical officer and a SWAT team venture into ground zero of the virulent virus to try to contain the disease and abort its deadly spread. Manuela Velasco and Jonathan Mellor star.

Director 1: Jaume Balagueró

Director 2: Paco Plaza

R-Rated

85 mins

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41. Devil (2010)

In this edgy thriller, Det. Bowden (Chris Messina) must not only save five people trapped in an elevator -- a mechanic (Logan Marshall-Green), a young woman (Bojana Novakovic), an old woman (Jenny O'Hara), a guard (Bokeem Woodbine) and a salesman (Geoffrey Arend) -- but he must act fast because the devil is among them. Drew Dowdle and John Erick Dowdle direct M. Night Shyamalan's story, which explores the notion that there are no coincidences.

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

PG-13

81 mins

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42. Exorcismus (2010)

La posesión de Emma Evans (original title)

When their teenage daughter reports curious symptoms that point toward demonic possession, a desperate family calls a priest in to investigate and allows her exorcism to be secretly recorded.

Director: Manuel Carballo

PG-13

98 mins

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43. The Last Exorcism (2010)

Ready to expose his miraculous deeds as mere trickery, Rev. Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) invites a documentary crew to film his final exorcism. But when the devil actually possesses a girl's body, Marcus must regain his faith and engage in the fight of his life. Produced by Eli Roth and directed by Daniel Stamm, this frighteningly realistic horror movie also stars Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr and Louis Herthum.

Director: Daniel Stamm

PG-13

87 mins

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44. Legion (2010)

In the wake of an apocalypse of major proportions, a motley crew of survivors (including Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson and Kate Walsh) ekes out a living at an abandoned truck stop in the desert, never suspecting that the pregnant woman walking among them is carrying the Messiah. Paul Bettany co-stars in this thriller as the archangel Michael, who was sent to Earth to steer humankind away from darkness and toward the light.

Director: Scott Charles Stewart

R-Rated

100 mins

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45. 11-11-11 (2011)

In this chilling horror movie, Melissa and Jack -- once an ordinary couple -- watch in shock as their son slowly morphs into a hellish harbinger of the Apocalypse, set to engulf the Earth on the devil-boy's own birthday, 11/11/11.

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

R-Rated

Not-Rated

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46. Anneliese: The Exorcist Tapes (2011)

Purporting to be real footage of an exorcism that inspired the blockbuster 1970s horror film, this feature observes a young woman in the throes of demonic possession. German Anneliese, 23, appears to exhibit signs of epilepsy, but soon the medical professionals called to her bedside are stumped by her symptoms. As the woman's house becomes plagued by paranormal phenomena, a priest is called upon to exorcise the evil spirit.

Director: Jude Gerard Prest

R-Rated

91 mins

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47. The Rite (2011)

Despite his conviction that demonic possession is just so much supersitious mumbo jumbo, Catholic priest-in-training Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue) journeys to Rome to attend a special exorcism school being taught at the Vatican. Before long, true-believer Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins) introduces the young cleric to the devil's power firsthand. Director Mikael Håfström helms this graphic supernatural thriller inspired by a true story.

Director: Mikael Håfström

PG-13

112 mins

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48. The Devil Inside (2012)

At once spooky and grisly, this thriller follows a woman's quest to find the truth behind claims that her mother killed three people during an exorcism. The daughter's journey takes her to Italy, where she becomes involved in other exorcisms.

Director: William Brent Bell

R-Rated

83 mins

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49. The Possession (2012)

In this supernatural horror flick, a young girl unwittingly unleashes an evil spirit that resides in a curious old box filled will mysterious relics. Now the girl and her estranged parents must break the hold the demonic force has on their family.