When it comes to the depiction of supernatural horrors, AMC’s new drama Preacher is rife with possibilities. After all, by the end of the first episode, Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper) has been possessed by something otherworldly. However, what it is and what it wants remains to be seen. So it goes on the big screen, where nothing scares the bejesus out of people more than demonic possession. From the classic, neck-twisting scares of 1973’s The Exorcist — which practically invented the subgenre — to cult fare like The Evil Dead films, nothing provides audiences with quite the same kind of out-of-body experience than these cinematic hellbeasts. Then again, demons aren’t the only fictional beings whose movements among human flesh and bone can squeeze a squeal out of even the bravest moviegoers.
Sometimes mere men and women with access to heavenly (or hellish) powers can accomplish similar feats. Sometimes angels, those who would serve the lord on high for humanity’s benefit, play around with possession. Whoever the culprit might be, however, the result is always the same — some poor soul gets the boot, and their earthly body becomes a visceral and oftentimes violent playground for horror fans. That, or in the case of the Child’s Play series, a talking doll.
Here’s a list of the most gruesome, frightening and weird movie character possessions ever to grace the silver screen. Spoilers are strewn throughout this article, so proceed with caution.
Paranormal Activity
To date, there are six entries in the Paranormal Activity series. Yet it’s the first of filmmaker Oren Peli’s groundbreaking found-footage movies, 2007’s Paranormal Activity, that raises the bar to its highest level. That’s because Katie’s (Katie Featherston) possession serves as the main subject, and as the one hour and 26-minute running time progresses the depth of her damnation becomes all the more horrific. Especially when the demon controlling her reveals itself in the final seconds.
The Possession
With the success of Paranormal Activity and similar projects during the 2000s, films about possession skyrocketed the following decade. Some told different versions of the same story, like 2012’s The Possession, which tackled the subject from a non-Christian perspective. Most of the more religiously-infused movies involve exorcisms performed by Roman Catholic priests. The Possession, however, explored the world of Judaism — especially the Hasidic community — to present one of the scariest onscreen depictions of a demon in recent memory. Like when Abizo literally crawls out of Clyde’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) mouth.
The Exorcist
Speaking of exorcisms, no list of possessed movie characters can exist without an entry for The Exorcist. William Friedkin’s horror classic will forever be etched into the memories (and nightmares) of those who have seen it. Why? Because no little girl like Regan (Linda Blair) should ever be flexible enough to twist their head around in a complete 360. Along with sound effects added to replicate creaking, cracking neck bones and vertebrae, this pivotal scene is one of the most frightening examples of possession ever filmed. Jesse Custer should take Father Merrin’s (Max von Sydow) example to heart and avoid such anatomically incorrect displays of devilry at all costs.
The Evil Dead Films
Director Sam Raimi burst onto the horror-comedy scene with The Evil Dead in 1981. Blending independent movies with abject grossness and ridiculous gags, the picture and its two sequels, Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness, trolled horror snobs and fans alike with some of the weirdest-yet-classic possessions ever caught on camera. All three movies are rife with examples of the silliest and scariest demonic ventriloquism acts imaginable, but Ash’s (Bruce Campbell) fight with his deadite hand ranks as the best.
The Prophecy
Perhaps The Prophecy‘s saving grace is the fact that it features Christopher Walken as the villain, the angel Gabriel no less. He does a lot of damage to a lot of poor human schmucks throughout the movie, but it’s the final scene — in which a dead soldier’s soul is removed from a young girl’s body during a Native American ritual — that stands out. Mainly for what the special effects team accomplished, which was a shot of the girl puking out a fiery demon. She puked a f*cking demon.
Child’s Play Films
Not quite an angelic or demonic possession, per se, but anything with actor Brad Dourif is bound for cult status. Following the maniacal toy’s possession, the rest of Child’s Play and its many sequels devolved into a modified version of a Scream-like slasher film, complete with ever-increasing body counts.
Deliver Us from Evil
Writer and director Scott Derrickson, whose other films include The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Sinister, added Deliver Us from Evil into the mix in 2014. Another “based on a true story”-type of possession film, Derrickson’s “buddy cop” drama featuring a faithless police officer (Eric Bana) and a priest (Edgar Ramírez) gifted horror fans with one of the most extreme possession and exorcism scenes in recent memory. Then again, anything that bloody and cannibalistic only works with a soundtrack provided by The Doors.
The Babadook
If any of the entries here were to have “NOPE” ascribed to it as a description, it’d be The Babadook. The 2014 psychological horror by Australian writer and director Jennifer Kent shows very little to the audience — other than countless shots of utter darkness. But when the titular Babadook does appear, however, it’s absolutely scary as hell. Especially when it possesses Amelia (Essie Davis), a widowed mother who then attempts to murder her son.
Need to catch-up on ‘Preacher’? See what you’ve missed right here as you watch TV’s baddest new possessed character employ the “word of God”. Then, check out the next episode Sunday on AMC at 9/8c.
