The exorcism. Is there any scene that doesn’t ring truer of the horror genre than that? It’s pretty much universally terrifying, and thanks to 1973’s The Exorcist, it has become a Hollywood standard.
As with all horror films, this genre is prone to some serious tropes that fill every release. Some of them are terrifying, well-done and produce exceptional results pretty much every time they appear. Some of them are overused, lackluster, and rarely work well. We’ve collected five of the best and five of the worst.
Timeless: It’s A Child Being Exorcised
Children are scary. Try and think of the absolute scariest film you can. There’s a child involved in some way, right? Whether it’s as a vulnerable main character who you can relate to through your own childhood fears, or it’s a creepy face at the end of a hallway.
By centering exorcism films on a child, we automatically feel more sympathy and a whole lot more fear. They don’t know what’s happening to them, and when they get possessed and turn into a creepy, doll-like plaything for the devil, we’re straight behind the sofa.
Exorcised: It’s An Adult
Adults aren’t that scary. They know what a demon is, and they have an understanding of exorcisms to a certain degree. Basically, get over yourself, adult. Well, it isn’t quite that simple, I imagine being exorcised is pretty scary no matter your age, but it just doesn’t have the same effect when it’s not an innocent child at the receiving end of the devil’s games. Just take a look at The Devil Inside or The Conjuring. The central scenes don’t have the same impact on us as they do when its Regan or Nell having a demon pulled from within them.
Timeless: A Priest Comes To Help Out
In a lot of cases, priests make for pretty cool characters. Even in some pretty poor films like The Rite (2011), the priest (in this case, a very on-form Anthony Hopkins) is ominous in one of his stand out roles. Their confidence and power always provide an interesting edge, and their ability to run headfirst into the terrifying scene of the exorcisms they face is never really commended enough. Pretty much every exorcism film is forced to have a priest in it by default, but, luckily, it works. Obviously, not every time; if the film is bad, then the priest is pretty likely to be bad. But, in general, it’s a good trope.
Exorcised: The Priest Is The Devil As Well
One of the main reasons I mentioned The Rite above is because it does exactly this. By the end of the film (spoiler alert), Anthony Hopkins himself becomes possessed. The very man trying to save those who are possessed gets possessed himself. Who will help him?! It’s a nice twist, but it’s the sort of twist you can only do once, like ‘I am your father’ or ‘he was dead the whole time.’ Maybe it isn’t quite common enough to be classified as a trope, but, given its already been done a fair few times, maybe just avoid this one from now on, yeah?
Timeless: The Torturous Movements
Nothing is more convincing of true fear and pain than the torturous, anguished movements made by some of those we see having a demon exorcised out of them.
We’ve seen it happen in The Last Exorcism and The Exorcism Of Emily Rose, in which the lead actresses both contort themselves in various grotesque ways, and it works wonders in creating a believable sense of possession. These scenes are completely natural and real, giving a disturbing edge to the performances. Having said this, it works best, perhaps, in The Exorcist, where the horrifying ‘spiderwalk’ scene (which wasn’t even in the original release) looks completely and utterly unnatural and totally demonic. Terrifying stuff.
Exorcised: The Bell, Book, and Candle
Pretty much every exorcism film we see has three classic items, a bell, a book, and a candle. When you’re absorbed in the tension and thrill of a horror film, these are perfectly fine and you can get over it.
If you consider it for too long, you might start to ask yourself why they’re there. Well, they shouldn’t be. These items are actually part of the ritual of ex-communication, which is where someone is suspended from receiving the services of their church. No supernatural elements involved here, just some weird passive-aggressive stuff.
Timeless: Chanting In Latin
The beauty of the Latin chant is that almost no one can understand what it means. By default, we avoid any of the cringe-inducing chants that use words we actually understand and every single time without fail makes us laugh instead of shiver.
Latin is pretty creepy anyway, what with its association with the devil and the jagged, inherently scary words and phrases found in its lexicon. A sure-fire way to avoid a disappointing interaction with a demon- keep them talking in Latin. We don’t need to understand what they’re saying!
Exorcised: When The Demon Speaks Through Their Subject
The Exorcist did it perfectly. We didn’t need it to happen again, because it was never going to be as good. Some of the things Pazuzu has Regan say are horrific and remain horrifying to this day, but, when you watch it happen in any other horror film since, it just doesn’t have the same effect.
Seeing a child with a weird, distorted deep voice has been done so many times that rather than seeming scary, it seems totally expected. Like you’re supposed to sign some sort of form stating ‘I will make the subject of my exorcism speak in a deep demon voice’ when you start directing a horror film.
Timeless: Jump Scares
Say what you like about jump scares. Tacky. Easy. Boring. They’re still scary. Sure, sometimes they don’t work at all, and sometimes they’re overused, but the jump scare is still one of the finest tools in a horror director’s arsenal.
Remember in The Exorcist III where the nurse gets sprung upon? Or in The Conjuring where the witch-like thing is on the wardrobe? While exorcism films shouldn’t be ruined by over pollinating themselves with jump scares that replace suspense, if you truly want to scare your audience, position them wisely and keep them coming.
Exorcised: Copying The Exorcist
Once The Exorcist was released in 1973 (and became the first Oscar-nominated horror film), there were bound to be a lot of copycat films lurking about. Just the 1970s led us to many, including The Antichrist (1974), Exorcismo (1974) and The Possessed (1977).
Even though the latter featured Harrison Ford, none of them could hold a candle to The Exorcist. Sure, take influence, but stop trying to rip it off, it won’t work! This fad turned the entire concept of The Exorcist and its storyline into a trope itself.
