Religious terror is not easy. This has already been said by Dario Argento, who, after making a terrible film Hell, admitted that he had never been able to see the creeds the same way. This subgenre attempts to take all the elements associated with mysticism, beliefs and spirituality to darker places. About blasphemy, demons, dark rituals, sacred places desecrated by evil deeds. Films with themes that directly explore the mundane, They have become a favorite among creepy lovers.
Especially when the themes become more extreme, violent and violent. From Exorcistwho raised ethical and moral dilemmas between prayers and green vomit, until Prophecy, which analyzed the Bible as a horror scene. The truth is that a religious perspective taken outside of genre cinema is usually a successful experiment. Or at least becomes more sinister as he delves into the realm of the supernatural, this time associated with the divine.
With Easter approaching, it’s time to revisit some of the latest films that explore the tenets of faith as part of what’s scary. From nuns who discover unspeakable secrets to terrifying children who become monsters due to their lack of understanding of what is sacred. The selection covers a variety of rare topics, ideal for learning as a topic that continues to amaze with its diversity and twisted vision of the religious world.
Death of a sister
WITH Veronica (2017), director Paco Plaza explored the theme of obsession through a famous real-life case. This allowed him to mix collective horror and paranoia in a new environment. But at the center of the story of a teenager abused and ultimately killed by hidden forces, a mysterious figure has emerged. Narcissa’s sister (Consuelo Trujillo) was the counterweight to the mystery built into the script. A blind nun who secretly smoked and seemed to know the answers to questions about the supernatural. became an intriguing and confusing plot element.
IN Death of a sister (2023), what happened to Narcisa (played this time by Aria Bedmar and Almudena Amor) before arriving in Madrid is the center of a paranormal event. At the height of the Spanish Civil War The then-newcomer must face an ancient and twisted evil.
Much more that has to do with the idea of motherhood and finding the purpose of good. Told through flashbacks, images that mimic the dark NODOS videos, and finally a gothic production design, the film is terrifying. vision of faith. At the same time, from the outrages of those who profess it, and the pains of fanaticism.
Pray for us
The film adaptation of James Herbert’s book of the same name tries to answer the mysterious question of what a miracle is. But this is more than a problem of belief; it is deepened by the ambiguity of the extraordinary phenomenon. The director, as well as screenwriter Evan Spiliotopoulos, is interested in a key point in the plot. What makes an amazing event necessarily a good one?
Gerard (Jeffrey Dean Morgan from The Walking Dead) is a journalist who will try to answer this question. With nothing to lose, he risks his reputation to get to the bottom of an inexplicable event. Alice (Cricket Brown), the pastor’s devout niece, claims to be able to see a divine apparition. Which, moreover, instructs him to preach the gospel and work on what seems sacred.
But things will get even darker when Gerald discovers that behind the miraculous healings and songs of faith lies a hidden danger. The one who is able to sow terror in Alice and all the believers around her. A premise that works as long as the film questions itself sharply about the possibility that religion is an emotional event that culminates in something more dangerous.
Seed of Evil
Film directed and written by David S. Goyer. explores the mythology of Judaism from a dark perspective. When Casey (Odette Annable) begins to suffer from an eye disease, the door to the unexplained opens for her.
From visions of an unknown child following her everywhere to possessing another. Gradually, a certain evil force will begin to manifest itself around her, which will force her to look for answers and help in those places that she least imagines. Including the office of Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman), in which she will try to understand the nature of the dybbuk that threatens her and then try to kill her.
For Casey, the situation will become even more chaotic when she realizes that the ghost is part of something more powerful and ancient, connected to her family and the tragedy of the Nazi Holocaust. This will lead him on a journey to his roots and the origins of the horror that surrounds him. Interesting data? Seed of Evil It includes one of the few scenes of exorcism in the Jewish religion in recent decades.
Saga “The Nun”
So far in two films, spin-offs of the franchise. Warren Files, follows the origins of the demon Valak (Bonnie Aarons) and his battle against his sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga). But beyond the conventions of the genre and the poor quality of the script, this sub-franchise has its advantages. To begin with, it is an exploration of the origins and spread of evil through faith, fear and the dark spaces of the human mind.
On the other hand, there is an exploration of extensive Christian symbolism, which he intelligently uses at various points in his plot. From the history of martyrs to the importance of relics. The films analyze how the divine is understood and how it interacts with the codes of horror cinema. But beyond that, it’s a religiously inspired version of the macabre. which plays with the idea of the wicked and the power of faith to achieve a creepy scenario.
Children of the Corn
This adaptation of the Stephen King story of the same name is a unique religious horror film focusing on paganism and fanaticism. Director Fritz Kirsch manages to mix both premises in a plot that not only explores the writer’s original plot, but also takes it into another space, emphasizing what is associated with the myths and legends of paganism. He also gave it some folk horror elements, which made the film a rarity at the time.
When Burt (Peter Horton) and his wife Vicki (Linda Hamilton) accidentally arrive in an abandoned town deep in North America, they have no idea what horror awaits them. About a group of children who are overcome by a maddened, painful devotion to a creature hidden among the crops. Horror awaits in the form of religious chants and, ultimately, death among ungodly prayers. The scariest moment of the plot.
Source: Hiper Textual
