Religious horror film

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Religious horror films are a subgenre of horror whose common themes are based on religion and focus heavily on supernatural beings, often with demons as the main antagonists that try to bring menace to characters’ lives.^[1][2] Such films commonly use religious elements, including the crucifix or cross, holy water, the Bible, the rosary, the sign of the cross, the church, and prayer, which are forms of religious symbols and rituals used to depict the use of faith to defeat evil.^[3] Despite its main focus on religion, it can also contain graphic violence.^[4]

Most religiously themed horror films feature struggling characters who are experiencing supernatural occurrences and disturbances that often become tragic, forcing them to turn to their faith and religion to combat them. Examples of classic films include Amityville II: The Possession, Stigmata,The Calling, Omen III: The Final Conflict, The Exorcist, Child of the Corn, Carrie, The Church, and Hellbound: Hellraiser II. The genre is mirrored even more by modern films like The Rite, The Crucifixion, Apostle, The Nun, Prey for the Devil, The Unholy, The Vatican Tapes, The Possession, Ouija: Origin of Evil, and The Conjuring Films.

Criticisms[edit]

Many film critics have expressed their disapproval of the way religion is portrayed in horror films. Some said, "But, as with religion, people hate when you poke holes in the insincerity of their beliefs".^[5] Others said, "Mixing religion and horror films may seem forbidden or even blasphemous to some" and that "it has never been studied [or regarded] in this way".^[6] Sam Acosta stated in his review piece that "An entire genre most Christians seem to reject regardless of the franchise is horror”. ^[7] Acosta provided biblical verses and authors that are opposed to this type of film to buttress his critical viewpoints. A 2021 supernatural horror film, The Unholy, was called out by many for having a demonic villain take the form of the Virgin Mary. According to the critical reviews, the film "Depicts the Virgin Mother in a "blasphemous" light and should therefore be banned as it "offends" Roman Catholic sensibilities”.^[8] A film review stance for The Conjuring trilogy stated that “Christianity is used as a weapon to vanquish not just supernatural evils but that of the character’s physical and moral words”.^[9]

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