The 25 Best Movies About The Devil Ranked

Daniel Stamm's ("The Last Exorcism") "Prey for the Devil" didn't do big business at the box office, though there's something endearingly nostalgic about seeing the well-worn path of demonic possession revisited in multiplexes nationwide. As demonic possessions become akin to a global pandemic, the Catholic Church reopens its exorcism schools to train a new front line of exorcists to tackle the charge. Jacqueline Byers's Sister Ann, though prohibited as a nun, is given the rare opportunity to train on account of her perceived empathy toward possession victims.

That empathy is rooted in Ann's own experience with a demon in her youth, rendering the battle for the soul more personal than most. Admittedly, "Prey for the Devil," despite the pun in the title, doesn't have quite as much fun with its premise as it might initially seem. While other additions to the canon, such as the stellar "Saint Maud," find ways of reworking old Devilish trappings into new tricks, "Prey for the Devil" is content to coast by with some effective jolts and plenty of conventions. It's not innately bad, and with a PG-13 rating in tow, "Prey for the Devil" is an accessible entry point for young audiences curious to see what this Satan hubbub is all about.

Ridley Scott's "Legend," a mid-'80s Tom Cruise vehicle, struggled when first released. A C+ CinemaScore didn't bode well for the film's domestic box office legs, and as a result, "Legend" concluded its theatrical run with a collective haul of just $23 million, about $1 million shy of its budget. In recent years, "Legend" has been reappraised and is now considered something akin to a cult classic. A huge part of that is no doubt Tim Curry's portrayal of the Lord of Darkness, arguably one of the most iconic fantasy villains in cinematic history. Curry didn't know what he was getting into when he signed on for "Legend," but he certainly left an impression.

Cruise's Jack O' the Green must try to save his love, Princess Lili (Mia Sara) after she's exploited as bait to kill her land's many unicorns. The Lord of Darkness desires their horns, and it's up to Jack, Lili, and their ragtag crew to stop him. While "Legend" exists in many forms, with different cuts and releases, there's something nostalgic and charming about Scott's fantasy world. Even those unfamiliar with the title likely recognize Curry's antagonist. A giant, red behemoth with horns, it's clearly meant to evoke the Devil. Whether he is or isn't is up for debate, though there's no doubt Curry's Lord of Darkness, like his other villainous portrayals (see: Pennywise), will endure in the annals of film history.

Na Hong-jin of "The Wailing" fame surprised audiences in 2021 when he co-scripted a feature that would sit perfectly alongside his demonic, devilish masterpiece. In Banjong Pisanthanakun's "The Medium," a documentary crew follows Nim (Sawanee Utoomma), a local shaman in the Isan region of Thailand possessed by the spirit of Ba Yan. Ba Yan is a local goddess, one a long lineage of women welcome into their bodies to assist in shamanistic rituals in and around the village. Mink's (Narilya Gulmongkolpech) mother, Noi (Sirani Yankittikan), rejected Ba Yan, choosing instead to practice Christianity. When Mink starts showing signs of possession, the documentary crew is there to capture a maelstrom of bloodshed and death.

While "The Medium" is never explicit in which spirits, exactly, are possessing Mink — it could be argued to be either an aggrieved Ba Yan or something else entirely — there is undoubtedly clear evidence that the work of the Devil — however audiences choose to conceptualize Him — is responsible. Like the best of Na Hong-Jin's works, the true terror of "The Medium" lies not only in its ambiguity but its recognition of universal evils among distinct faiths. Evil is evil, and possession is possession. Neither Shamanism nor Christianity is enough to keep someone safe. That's the kind of terror that possesses an audience long after the credits roll.

Bryan Bertino's "The Dark and the Wicked" is what happens when you combine the stalk-and-slash terror of his own "The Strangers" with the ponderous, existential terror of William Friedkin's "The Exorcist." "The Dark and the Wicked" is scary. Eschewing jump scares (though there are plenty of those here too) for a dense, oppressively dark atmosphere, Bertino's horror opus — arguably the best he's done — is one of the century's scariest movies. Just don't expect to sleep much afterward.

Marin Ireland and Michael Abbott Jr. star as siblings Louise and Michael. The pair return to their childhood home together after hearing their father is sick. Shortly after their arrival, their mother dies by suicide, and from there, the siblings are left to pick up the demonic pieces. There's clearly something in their house, a Devilish presence from Hell, one feasting on not only their sanity but their ailing father's as well. While the graphic content and aggressively dour tone render "The Dark and the Wicked" less accessible than the popcorn frights of "The Strangers," it's a remarkably well-made tale of possession and the demons within one's own blood.

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Joko Anwar's "Satan's Slaves," a remake of the 1980 Indonesian horror film of the same name, is one of the most terrifying movies released this century. Indonesia's answer to "The Conjuring," both it and its 2022 sequel are viciously scary. With a distinct playfulness, the Devil cult shenanigans go down easily, though they're liable to incite nightmares galore, what with its frightening cultists and shrouded pocong (a Javanese ghost).

Tara Basro's Rini is the audience entry point, a young woman living with her parents and two brothers in the country. When her mother dies, the family grieves, not knowing the full scope of the nightmare in store for them. With a smattering of James Wan's trademark misdirection for its most visceral scares, "Satan's Slaves" might be as loud as its Hollywood brethren, though its distinct cultural roots run deep. The family soon finds themselves contending with a cult of Satan-worshipping cult members, and while I won't spoil the many reveals, it's a fresh, uniquely human way of contextualizing its paranormal jolts. "Satan's Slaves" is not to be missed.

Liam Gavin's "A Dark Song" is one of the most striking, original, and terrifying horror debuts. Its meandering pace and prioritization of suggestive atmosphere over visceral scares likely turned most mainstream audiences away, a shame since "A Dark Song" is one of the most affecting — and genuinely life-affirming — movies about the occult and Devilish rituals around.

Catherine Walker's Sophia Howard enlists the assistance of occultist Joseph Solomon (Steve Oram) in summoning her guardian angel, a presence with whom Sophia could ostensibly ask for anything. Revenge. Power. Knowledge. Whatever it is, if Sophia can endure months of suffering to actualize the ritual, that access will belong to her. The early-goings are trippy, with temporal distortion and plenty of gross requests, including having Sophia drink Joseph's blood. As the months drag on, the appearance of some figure from another realm grows clearer — in effect, the Devil and his legion of demons are drawn toward the isolated home by dint of the ritual. Sophia wanted an angel, though she might well have summoned the Devil. Tense, gorgeously shot, and tenderly acted — seriously, the ending here is a bonafide tearjerker — "A Dark Song" is hardcore horror with heart.

"Devil" is a lot like "The Nightmare Before Christmas" in that it is routinely misattributed to the wrong director. No, M. Night Shyamalan did not direct "Devil." John Erick Dowdle did. Though adapted from a story of Shyamalan's, the writing and directorial duties were placed in other hands. Still, it's an easy misattribution to make, on account of both the marketing and how Shyamalan's inimitable narrative and filmmaking techniques are evident all over "Devil." An ensemble thriller, in "Devil" five strangers are trapped together in an elevator and soon realize that one of them is the literal Devil himself.

With quick shocks, lots of paranoia, and the kind of twist ending one comes to expect from a Shyamalan production, "Devil" is both familiar and unpredictable. It earns its scares earnestly, the acting is worthwhile, and it's a prime example of a high concept exploited to maximum effect on a modest budget. The world could certainly use more of this kind of devilry.

"Curse of the Demon" (also known as "Night of the Demon") is genuinely scary in a way that few classic horror films are. That isn't to say that other older films aren't frightening, but "Curse of the Demon" is almost prescient in the way it moves to the rhythms of more contemporary horror outings. Directed by Jacques Tourneur, its production was notoriously rife with conflict, with tension rising over both its length and the decision by producer Hal E. Chester to insert the demon itself into the climax; Tourneur wanted to leave it to the viewers' imaginations.

"Curse of the Demon" stars Dana Andrews as Dr. John Holden, a professor intrigued by the death of Professor Harrington (Maurice Denham) and his work on the occult, namely his interest in exposing a satanic cult. Holden is soon in over his head and stuck in a cycle of death, curses, and, yes, giant demons. The decision to show the demon itself is still a point of contention — some think it looks silly, while others appreciate the brazenness of the choice — but regardless, there's little that matches the potent thrills of "Curse of the Demon." Grounded with peripheral supernatural chills, it reminds audiences that if the devil is real, he exists in shadows and whispers, in the minds and hearts of evil men. It's true in a way more bombastic entries can't quite manage.

It's not a spoiler, per say, to acknowledge that Al Pacino plays the devil himself in "The Devil's Advocate." Look, it's right there in the title. Still, when the film starts, we're introduced to Pacino as John Milton (get it?), the head of a New York law firm who offers to hire Keanu Reeves' Kevin Lomax, an unscrupulous defense attorney who has never lost a case, even if it means letting guilty men walk free. Kevin subsequently accepts the offer following a high-profile win, and he and his wife Mary (a sensational Charlize Theron) move to New York.

Haunting occurrences start almost immediately. As Kevin begins his allegorical rise, Mary unravels. She is plagued by visions and nightmares, including a graphic scene in which she sees a child playing with her removed ovaries, and an increasing sense of isolation, compounded by Kevin's change in demeanor. Kevin's career becomes harder to manage as he chooses winning over the wellbeing of himself and those he loves. A critical and box office triumph, "The Devil's Advocate" has been somewhat lost to the annals of time. Seek it out.

Several months ago, "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" director Scott Derrickson revealed on Twitter that the movie was originally hit with an R rating on account of star Jennifer Carpenter's disturbing facial distortions. Done practically in camera, the MPAA found Carpenter's performance so chilling and visceral that they refused to issue the PG-13 the studio wanted until Derrickson cut some of Carpenter's more disturbing moments.

Loosely based on the true story of Anneliese Michel, a German woman infamously killed during an exorcism in 1976, "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" is a courtroom procedural with a supernatural shading. Laura Linney stars as the defense attorney representing Tom Wilkinson's parish priest, who is charged with negligent homicide after Emily Rose dies during his ceremony. The movie jumps back and forth between the courtroom and Emily's possession, showing both her early symptoms and the eventual demonic takeover. Though somewhat dated — the digital faces and exhausting jump scares are pure '00s — the performances, especially Jennifer Carpenter's, are so incredible that the movie will terrify even the most agnostic horror fan.

Children are terrifying. Even the nice ones are so unpredictable that they can inspire terror. "The Omen," directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer, takes that idea and runs with it. Gregory Peck and Lee Remick star as Robert and Katherine Thorn, a couple living in Rome, where Peck's Robert works as a diplomat. When their son dies during childbirth, Robert is convinced by Father Spiletto (Martin Benson) to adopt a child whose mother died, which he keeps secret from Katherine. They name this child Damien. Damien is the Antichrist.

With incredible death scenes, including the best beheading ever committed to celluloid, and an intoxicating take on the satanic panic, "The Omen" is smart, high-toned horror. Cerebral while also conforming to parameters of the genre, "The Omen" is one of the best devil movies ever made. It's anchored by stellar performances — as Damien, Harvey Spencer Stephens is so exceptional that he earned a Golden Globe nomination, while Jerry Goldsmith won an Oscar for his score. "The Omen" is enduring, too, having earned three sequels, a remake, and even a (quickly canceled) television series. The Antichrist is here to stay.

"The Wailing" is one of the scariest movies ever made. Na Hong-jin's operatic, dense, and thoroughly frightening sixth feature is almost impossible to describe. Ostensibly the story of a small village in South Korea rattled by the arrival of an enigmatic Japanese stranger (Jun Kunimura), "The Wailing" is a frenzied sprint through different horror subgenres. A psychological thriller, an exorcism movie, and a blockbuster grounded in Korean mythos, "The Wailing" is a lot of things. At no point during its nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime, though, is it anything less than captivating and terrifying. 

I won't spoil the ending, but the final half hour (which feature the devil, though I won't say how) is unreservedly the scariest 30 minutes of film I've seen in the past decade. With genre-defying performances from Kwak Do-won and Chun Woo-hee and so much mythology to unpack and explore, "The Wailing" is classic cinema. It transcends time and genre with an indefinable capacity to scare. Don't miss this one.

"The Exorcist" is a classic, and were it not included here, I wouldn't fault readers for suspecting that I myself had been possessed by the devil. William Friedkin's Oscar-winning horror opus, based on the novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, is a subversive, thoroughly terrifying exploration of one girl's demonic possession. Graphic, vile, and almost antagonistic, it didn't earn its reputation as the scariest movie ever made for nothing.

Hardened genre veterans might dissemble the truth 50 years after release and allege that "The Exorcist" isn't all that scary, but the fact remains that without "The Exorcist," the horror genre — and the entirety of the filmmaking landscape — would look very different today. 

Ellen Burstyn stars in the film Chris MacNeil, an actress filming in Georgetown who suspects that her daughter, Regan (Linda Blair), has been possessed by some demonic force. Friedkin wisely stacked "The Exorcist" to the rafters with stellar performances, breakthrough effects work, and lots of nuance, all of which make its most terrifying elements — like, say, that crucifix scene — more palatable to general audiences. It was groundbreaking in all the right ways, and for 50 years, has possessed an entire genre.