“And Lord deliver me from evil, Forgive me for I have sinned” “From the power invested in me by the holy church, I condemn you back to hell” If words like these float your boats then strap on. We are about to take a ride down the holy waters to the haunted canals. Today’s picks are the top 5 films on exorcism. With a range of stories aching from high delusion to the pragmatic endings, 5 films on Exorcism you definitely need to see.
The Rite (2011)
Director – Mikael Håfström
Runtime – 1h 54min.
The Rite proves to be a very interesting film to watch. It takes on the modern approaches of Exorcism, enticing the audience into the story with a young priest learning the ways of the Vatican. The young priest meets an old priest who is experienced in his ways of performing “rites”. However, the encounter changes the young priest’s paradigm towards his perception of demons forever. In conclusion, With Sir Anthony Hopkins playing the part of the elder father, The Rite becomes a blast to watch.
The Possession (2012)
Director: Ole Bornedal
Runtime: 1h 32min.
The Possession is one of the most successful films about exorcisms. It seems like Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been earmarked for the supernatural. The possession unravels a morbidly horrifying tale about the possession of a little girl. However, The story unfolds as Emily comes across a mysterious dilapidated box and asks her father to buy it. Things start to go south when the little girl becomes more and more obsessed with the box which unleashes a haunting experience for the family.
The Conjuring (2013)
Director: James Wan
Runtime: 1h 52min.
The infamous cult status film. The Conjuring is undoubtedly one of the best films on exorcisms out there. Based on the real life events of the clairvoyants Ed & Lorraine Warren. The Conjuring takes the audience through a ride full of goosebumps and breath taking moments. A story about a cursed house that unleashes an emotional hell upon a family that moved in there. With the masterful direction of James Wan, Conjuring might just give you an adrenaline kick.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
Director: Scott Derrickson
Runtime 1h 59min.
My favorite flick from the list. The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a treat to watch. The way it takes on the practicality of life, with a lawyer left to reason with the supernatural in the court. Just the premise of the film is enough to raise your brows. The story follows a Christian priest convicted of murder of a young girl named Emily. In his defense, the priest explained how he was called to aid her as she was possessed by demons from another realm. His struggle failed to exorcise the demons out of her resulting in her death and now he was left without any proof of the event but a missing doctor who was an eye witness to the event.
The Exorcist (1973)
Director: William Friedkin
Runtime: 2h 2min.
Finally, we arrive on the film that underwent several cuts and bans before it was deemed fit for the public. Friedkin’s The Exorcist has long carried the cult status for being the first of it’s kind exorcist film. Reports have even said that the movie sets began to experience paranormal fluctuations and had to be blessed regularly by a priest in order for the completion of the film. The Exorcist truly is the best and referring to the censors of 1980’s, the scariest film on Exorcism out there. The story revolves around a girl haunted by an evil, malevolent spirit which had to be crucified and took two exorcists to do so.
