Genre ResearchHorror: Possession and Exorcism

Possession is a paranormal event in which demons or spirits take control of a human body or inanimate object, resulting in changes of behaviour.

Exorcism is where demons or spirits that are in possession of a person or object are evicted. It is a religious practise which is usually conducted by a Catholic priest.

Context

Although it is not based on exorcism the first ever film considered to be Horror was “Le manoir du diable” (1896) which translates in English as “The Haunted Castle”. It is just 3 minutes long and is a silent, black and white film.

Le manoir du diable (1896)

“The Dybbuck” is Possibly the first depiction of exorcism in cinema. It is a Yiddish film directed by Michal Waszynski and is based on the play of the same name.

A bride is possessed on her wedding day by the spirit of the man she was engaged to before her current groom.

The Dybbuck (1937)

“The Exorcist” is a horror film directed by William Friedkin and is based on the 1949 exorcism case of Roland Doe.

The film is about a young girl who is possessed by demons and is exorcised by two priests as her mother attempts to get rid rid of the bad spirits possessing her.

“The Exorcist” had a significant influence on popular culture and started a trend for horror films of the same genre. It was named the scariest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly and Movies.com.

The Exorcist (1973)

After “The Exorcist” was released in 1973 and was incredibly popular, many more films were released with very similar storylines to the original film.

Some rip offs of the film which were released a year after “The Exorcist” include “Beyond the Door”, “Abby” and “Seytan”.

“The Exorcist” rip offs

“Repossessed” is a 1990 comedy film which was made as a spoof of “The Exorcist” (1973). The film features the star of the original film Linda Blair.

There are also scenes based on “The Exorcist” in the 2001 comedy film “Scary movie 2”.

“The Exorcist” comedy spoofs

The story of “The Amityville Horror” has been the basis of ten films released between 1979 and 2011.

The films are inspired by the book written in 1977 which was based on real life paranormal experiences of a family living in a house possessed by evil spirits.

The Amityville Horror (1979)

“The Unborn” is a 1991 horror film directed by Rodman Flender.

The film is about a couple who are unable to conceive, so use IVF in attempt to have a child. Once the woman becomes pregnant she realises strange things are happening to her body. Further investigation shows that the unborn child is part of an experiment conducted by an insane doctor.

The Unborn (1991)

“Exorcism: The Possession of Gail Bowers” was written and directed by Leigh Scott.

The film is about a woman called Gail Bowers who is possessed by malicious spirits. A local married couple alert the priest, Father Bates, who is called to exorcise Gail.

Exorcism: The Possession of Gail Bowers (2006)

“The Last Exorcism” is a found footage horror film directed by Daniel Stamm. The film recieved generally favourable reviews.

The film depicts a disillusioned priest who has performed many exorcisms over a number of years and decides to partake in a documentary showing his last exorcism. He receives a letter from a farmer asking for his help to get rid of the devil afflicting his daughter.

The Last Exorcism (2010)

“The Rite” is a 2011 horror film directed by Mikael Hafstrom. It is loosely based on a book written by Matt Baglio, “The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist” which was based on real events witnessed by a training exorcist.

The film is about an American student who travels to Italy to learn how to perform exorcisms.

The Rite (2011)

“The Devil Inside” is a 2012 horror film directed by William Brent Bell.

It is a documentary style film about a woman who is attempting to determine what has happened to her apparently mentally ill mother and gets involved in a series of exorcisms. Her mother murdered three people during an exorcism on herself as a result of being possessed by a demon.

The audience reception for the film was extremely negative, although it was still a huge commercial success.

The Devil Inside (2012)