One of my favourite sub genres of movies is the ones with religious undertones. With Eli Roth’s The Last Exorcism about to hit theatres it got me thinking on my favourite religiously terrifying moments. There is a massive pile of religious movies that will scare the holy ghost out of you and this is my look at what I consider to be 6 really good ones that will turn you into an atheist and quick. Remember you cannot believe in god without believing in the devil.
Children of the Corn: Children of the Corn scared the Jehovah out of me when I was younger. The concept of religious zealot children wiping out all the adults and then going on a murderous religious campaign in a small isolated town is truly terrifying. As youngsters we look to the adults for control and authority as well as safety so when they all get wiped out by murderous religious children its pretty damn scary. Children of the Corn spawned a ton of awful sequels and a SyFy remake but the original is a classic.
The Exorcist: Directed by William Friedkin The Exorcist won two Oscars and got plenty of Oscar nominations. It tells the story of a young innocent girl named Regan who goes from innocent saintly child to demonic demon spawn. The Exorcist is a terrifying experience with a perfect mix of great acting, a fantastic script and some truly fantastic visual FX’s work. The Exorcist is a must see for fans of religion gone wrong and will have you reciting the rosary in short order.
The Prophecy: Starring Christopher Walken and Virginia Madsen I love The Prophecy for the same reasons I enjoyed LEGION. Normally Angels are the good guys but in The Prophecy Christopher Walken plays Gabriel who comes to earth to take the soul of the one person who can break the stalemate in the war between heaven and hell. Christopher Walken has always been one of my favourite actors and his portrayal in this dark tale of angels and religious tension.
Martyrs: Martyrs is one of the most disturbing films I have ever seen and left me shocked, disturbed and feeling quite empty inside. I honestly don’t want to give to much away since this movie takes such a massive twist if you have not seen it I want you to be able to watch it un-tainted. Lets just leave it at Martyrs is violent, Martyrs is disturbing beyond belief and Martyrs is also one of the best directed and written horror films I have ever seen.
Frailty: Frailty stars Bill Paxton as a father bent on vanquishing demons with his two young sons as witness. The film co-stars Matthew McConaughey and is told through a series of flashbacks as an FBI agent tries to unravel the crime that took place. Bill Paxton does a fantastic job as the religious zealot father who brings as much evil as possible into his religion in an effort to quell the demons he thinks are around him and his boys.
Rosemary’s Baby: Rosemarys Baby is a classic tale of religion, satan worshipping and the all feared lord of the underworld. In the film Mia Farrow gets pregnant after a horrendous dream and soon uncovers that her upper crust neighbours are not what they seem. In the end her baby is born and it turns out she is not the only one who has a claim to it. Creepy and unnerving Rosemary’s baby is a classic tale of supernatural evil.
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