When it comes to horror movies, there’s always something special about the ones that are inspired by religion. The entire concept of religion is based on the idea of supernatural forces waging a war in ways that aren’t immediately noticeable by us mortals, so all horror movies really have to do is make some of those ideas visible and tangible to have a really creepy setting. Besides, every religion has tons and tons of dark demons, fallen angels and devils waiting to do all kinds of mean things to unsuspecting humans.
Let’s take a look at some of the best horror movies that were inspired by religion, just in case you wanted to feel good about your atheism.
The Wicker Man (1973)
Not all religion has to be catholic. In this movie, a police officer finds himself looking for a girl in a pagan community, and he arrives right around the time they have a wicker man festival. And as we all know, at the end of the movie the officer ends up in the wicker man and set on fire. They also had a remake with Nicolas Cage, which is probably more famous than the original.
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Imagine wanting to have a child and finding out you got pregnant because your neighbours are part of a Satanic cult and they want to have your unborn child as the vessel of the Devil. Sounds like a hell of a ride, doesn’t it?
The Exorcist (1973)
This is probably the most known religion inspired horror movie since it’s the best one out there. This movie is nothing more than the tale of a priest trying to save a girl from demonic possession and it involves some of the most memorable and graphic scenes ever seen in a horror movie.