Amityville II: The Possession Substitutes Slow Burn for Sleazy, Exploitative Haunts

Even after nearly 50 years, the Amityville Haunting may be one of the most instantly recognizable ghost stories and urban legends in America. In November of 1974, 23-year-old Ronald DeFeo Jr., shot and murdered his mother, father, and four siblings at 112 Ocean Ave in Amityville, Long Island. Shortly thereafter, George and Kathy Lutz moved […]

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Hellhole – Polish Supernatural Thriller the Latest Viral Horror Hit on Netflix

Netflix invests little effort into its horror movie library. By this time last year, the streaming giant had at least released the divisive Texas Chainsaw Massacre legacy sequel. Thus far in 2023 Netflix hasn’t platformed any original horror movies. At least the horror content quietly shuffles a bit each month. So if you’re inclined to […]

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Attachment Balances Jewish Folklore and Superstition With Queer Romance

Only two months into the year and Attachment follows on the heels of The Offering as not only the second religious-themed horror movie, but the second religious horror movie rooted in Jewish tradition. Not surprisingly, religious themes are no stranger to the genre. Plenty of horror movies weave superstition and folklore into stories revolving around […]

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Prey for the Devil Possesses Too Few Scares To Justify a Formulaic Story

Since The Exorcist shocked audiences in 1973, plenty of demonic possession movies have followed. At this point, the storytelling conventions and tropes are well-established. To date, The Exorcist remains the gold standard of the horror subgenre. But The Exorcist III has slowly won over critics and fans. And The Last Exorcism and The Exorcism of […]

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The Devil Made Me Do It – Seven Of the Best Exorcism Movies for Halloween Season

Demons and, in many cases, the Devil himself have a long history in horror. Silent Swedish film Häxan introduced film-goers to the occult with its fictionalized documentary approach to pagan practices. As public interest in the occult grew, Burn, Witch, Burn, Black Sunday, The Devil Rides Out, and Rosemary’s Baby exploited fears about Satanic cults, […]

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Fallen Tests The Faith of Even the Most Devout Horror Fans

No, not that Fallen. This isn’t that Denzel Washington “police procedural meets evil” from the 1990s. Not even close. Rather this 2022 Fallen is a an Italian export that recently made its way to some VOD platforms. With no advance buzz and few reviews, what we have are promotional materials that promise very different things. […]

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Demonic: Latest Possession Thriller Wastes a Novel Premise

Here we go, another demonic possession movie. So far 2021 has already given us The Unholy, The Seventh Day, The Conjuring III: The Devil Made Me Do It, and Separation. There truly is no rest for the wicked. But when the subgenre is done well it’s given us some of horror’s most memorable classics. And […]

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The Seventh Day Can’t Exorcise Familiar, Mediocre Story

Scroll through Netflix’s horror selection. How many demonic possession movies pop up? Oh, there’s The Possession of Hannah Grace. And then there’s The Assent, Soul to Keep, Mark of the Devil, and The Unborn. Keep scrolling and you’ll also find The Crucifixion, Paranormal Investigation, and Sabrina. On any given day, there seems to be a […]

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