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The Best Occult Movies Ever Made

“What are the best Occult movies of all-time?” We looked at 136 of the top Occult films and ranked them so we could answer that very question!

The top 31 films, all appearing on 2 or more “Best Occult” movie lists, are ranked below by how many times they appear. The remaining 100+ movies, as well as the sources we used, are in alphabetical order on the bottom of the page.

Happy Scrolling!



Top 31 Best Occult Movies



31 .) Alucarda (1977) directed by Juan López Moctezuma

Alucarda (1977)

Lists It Appears On:

  • CVLT Nation
  • Yes Clash

A young girl’s arrival at a convent after the death of her parents marks the beginning of a series of events that unleash an evil presence on the girl and her mysterious new friend, an enigmatic figure known as Alucarda. Demonic possession, Satan worship, and vampirism follows.



30 .) Constantine (2005) directed by Francis Lawrence

Constantine (2005)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Horror n Chill
  • Horror News

John Constantine has literally been to Hell and back. When he teams up with a policewoman to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles.



29 .) Haxan (1922) directed by Benjamin Christensen

Haxan (1922)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Book My Show
  • Contact Movies

Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen’s legendary film uses a series of dramatic vignettes to explore the scientific hypothesis that the witches of the Middle Ages suffered the same hysteria as turn-of-the-century psychiatric patients. But the film itself is far from serious– instead it’s a witches’ brew of the scary, gross, and darkly humorous.



28 .) Hereditary (2018) directed by Ari Aster

Hereditary (2018)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Film About It
  • IMDB

When Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family, passes away, her daughter’s family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry.



27 .) Kill List (2011) directed by Ben Wheatley

Kill List (2011)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Film About It
  • Oul Books

Nearly a year after a botched job, a hitman takes a new assignment with the promise of a big payoff for three killings. What starts off as an easy task soon unravels, sending the killer into the heart of darkness.



26 .) Lucifer Rising directed by Kenneth Anger

Lucifer Rising

Lists It Appears On:

  • CVLT Nation
  • Ultra culture

Lucifer Rising is a short film by director Kenneth Anger. The film was completed in 1972 and starred British singer Marianne Faithfull, but only widely distributed in 1980. The film’s soundtrack was composed by Bobby Beausoleil.



25 .) Poison For The Fairies (1986) directed by Carlos Enrique Taboada

Poison For The Fairies (1986)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Book My Show
  • Oul Books

In 1965 Mexico City, Fabiola, a wealthy yet lonely schoolgirl, befriends Graciela, a young orphan girl who has an unhealthy fascination with witchcraft. Fabiola is convinced that she, herself, is a witch by Graciela, who then uses the fear that she’s put into her new friend to get Fabiola to carry out her orders. As their games grow more serious, the two girls find themselves involved in murder.



24 .) Prince of Darkness (1987) directed by John Carpenter

Prince of Darkness (1987)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Horror n Chill
  • Horror News

A research team finds a mysterious cylinder in a deserted church. If opened, it could mean the end of the world.



23 .) Race With the Devil (1975) directed by Jack Starrett

Race With the Devil (1975)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Horror News
  • Yes Clash

For old friends Roger (Peter Fonda) and Frank (Warren Oates) and their wives (Lara Parker of Dark Shadows and Loretta Swit of MAS*H), it was supposed to be “the best damn vacation they ever had.” But their RV road trip takes a deadly detour at a secluded campsite when they accidentally witness a Satanic orgy and brutal human sacrifice. Now horror hits the highway as the couples are chased by blood-crazed cultists through some of the most intense crash-and-burn mayhem of the decade and into one of the greatest twist endings in drive-in history.



22 .) Simon, King of the Witches directed by Bruce Kessler

Simon, King of the Witches

Lists It Appears On:

  • CVLT Nation
  • Ultra culture

Simon, a young man with magic power, invokes the help of the evil forces in order to take revenge of a man who cheated him with a bad cheque.



21 .) Starry Eyes (2014) directed by Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer

Starry Eyes (2014)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Oul Books
  • The Cinemaholic

A hopeful young starlet uncovers the ominous origins of the Hollywood elite and enters into a deadly agreement in exchange for fame and fortune.



20 .) The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) directed by André Øvredal

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Film About It
  • IMDB

Father and son coroners receive a mysterious unidentified corpse with no apparent cause of death. As they attempt to examine the beautiful young “Jane Doe,” they discover increasingly bizarre clues that hold the key to her terrifying secrets.



19 .) The Evil Dead (1981) directed by Sam Raimi

The Evil Dead (1981)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Horror n Chill
  • Oul Books

When a group of college students finds a mysterious book and recording in the old wilderness cabin they’ve rented for the weekend, they unwittingly unleash a demonic force from the surrounding forest.



18 .) The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) directed by Scott Derrickson

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Horror n Chill
  • Horror News

When a younger girl called Emily Rose dies, everyone puts blame on the exorcism which was performed on her by Father Moore prior to her death. The priest is arrested on suspicion of murder. The trial begins with lawyer Erin Bruner representing Moore, but it is not going to be easy, as no one wants to believe what Father Moore says is true.



17 .) The Holy Mountain (1973) directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky

The Holy Mountain (1973)

Lists It Appears On:

  • The Cinemaholic
  • Ultra culture

A Mexican master leads a Christ figure and other disciples to a mountain of immortal wise men. The scandal of the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, writer/director Alejandro Jodorowsky’s flood of sacrilegious imagery and existential symbolism in The Holy Mountain is a spiritual quest for enlightenment pitting illusion against truth. The Alchemist (Jodorowsky) assembles together a group of people from all walks of life to represent the planets in the solar system. The occult adept’s intention is to put his recruits through strange mystical rites and divest them of their worldly baggage before embarking on a trip to Lotus Island. There they ascend the Holy Mountain to displace the immortal gods who secretly rule the universe.



16 .) The House of the Devil (2009) directed by Ti West

The House of the Devil (2009)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Horror n Chill
  • The Cinemaholic

In the 1980s, college student Samantha Hughes takes a strange babysitting job that coincides with a full lunar eclipse. She slowly realizes her clients harbor a terrifying secret.



15 .) The Love Witch (2016) directed by Anna Biller

The Love Witch (2016)

Lists It Appears On:

  • CVLT Nation
  • Thrillist

Elaine, a beautiful young witch, is determined to find a man to love her. In her gothic Victorian apartment she makes spells and potions, and then picks up men and seduces them. However her spells work too well, and she ends up with a string of hapless victims. When she finally meets the man of her dreams, her desperation to be loved will drive her to the brink of insanity and murder.



14 .) The Sentinel (1977) directed by Michael Winner

The Sentinel (1977)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Horror News
  • Oul Books

A commitment-shy New York fashion model moves into an old brownstone apartment, meets her weird neighbours and discovers she’s sitting on the gateway to Hell.



13 .) The Wailing (2016) directed by Na Hong-jin

The Wailing (2016)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Film About It
  • Horror n Chill

A stranger arrives in a little village and soon after a mysterious sickness starts spreading. A policeman is drawn into the incident and is forced to solve the mystery in order to save his daughter.



12 .) A Dark Song (2016) directed by Liam Gavin

A Dark Song (2016)

Lists It Appears On:

  • CVLT Nation
  • IMDB
  • The Cinemaholic

A determined young woman and a damaged occultist risk their lives and souls to perform a dangerous ritual that will grant them what they want.



11 .) Eyes Wide Shut (1999) directed by Stanley Kubrick

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Oul Books
  • The Cinemaholic
  • Ultra culture

After Dr. Bill Hartford’s wife, Alice, admits to having sexual fantasies about a man she met, Bill becomes obsessed with having a sexual encounter. He discovers an underground sexual group and attends one of their meetings — and quickly discovers that he is in over his head.



10 .) Night of the Demon (1957) directed by Jacques Tourneur

Night of the Demon (1957)

Lists It Appears On:

  • CVLT Nation
  • Medium
  • Ultra culture

American professor John Holden arrives in London for a conference on parapsychology only to discover that the colleague he was supposed to meet was killed in a freak accident the day before. It turns out that the deceased had been investigating a cult lead by Dr. Julian Karswell. Though a skeptic, Holden is suspicious of the devil-worshiping Karswell. Following a trail of mysterious manuscripts, Holden enters a world that makes him question his faith in science.



9 .) The Craft (1996) directed by Andrew Fleming

The Craft (1996)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Contact Movies
  • CVLT Nation
  • Thrillist

A Catholic school newcomer falls in with a clique of teen witches who wield their powers against all who dare to cross them — be they teachers, rivals or meddlesome parents.



8 .) Witchfinder General (1968) directed by Michael Reeves

Witchfinder General (1968)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Book My Show
  • Oul Books
  • The Cinemaholic

England is torn in civil strife as the Royalists battle the Parliamentary Party for control. This conflict distracts people from rational thought and allows unscrupulous men to gain local power by exploiting village superstitions. One of these men is Matthew Hopkins, who tours the land offering his services as a persecutor of witches.



7 .) The Witch (2015) directed by Robert Eggers

The Witch (2015)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Contact Movies
  • Film About It
  • IMDB
  • Thrillist

In 1630s New England, William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness, exiled from their settlement when William defies the local church. When their newborn son vanishes and crops mysteriously fail, the family turns on one another.



6 .) Suspiria (1977) directed by Dario Argento

Suspiria (1977)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Contact Movies
  • Medium
  • Oul Books
  • Thrillist
  • Yes Clash

From the moment she arrives in Freiberg, Germany, to attend the prestigious Tanz Academy, American ballet-dancer Suzy Bannion senses that something horribly evil lurks within the walls of the age-old institution.



5 .) The Exorcist (1973) directed by William Friedkin

The Exorcist (1973)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Horror n Chill
  • Horror News
  • IMDB
  • Oul Books
  • The Cinemaholic

12-year-old Regan MacNeil begins to adapt an explicit new personality as strange events befall the local area of Georgetown. Her mother becomes torn between science and superstition in a desperate bid to save her daughter, and ultimately turns to her last hope: Father Damien Karras, a troubled priest who is struggling with his own faith.



4 .) The Ninth Gate (1999) directed by Roman Polanski

The Ninth Gate (1999)

Lists It Appears On:

  • CVLT Nation
  • Horror News
  • IMDB
  • Medium
  • The Cinemaholic

An all-expenses-paid international search for a rare copy of the book, ‘The Nine Gates of the Shadow Kingdom’ brings an unscrupulous book dealer deep into a world of murder, double-dealing and satanic worship.



3 .) The Omen (1976) directed by Richard Donner

The Omen (1976)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Film About It
  • Horror News
  • IMDB
  • Oul Books
  • The Cinemaholic

Immediately after their miscarriage, the US diplomat Robert Thorn adopts the newborn Damien without the knowledge of his wife. Yet what he doesn’t know is that their new son is the son of the devil.



2 .) Rosemary’s Baby (1968) directed by Roman Polanski

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Book My Show
  • Contact Movies
  • Horror n Chill
  • Horror News
  • IMDB
  • Medium
  • Oul Books
  • The Cinemaholic

A young couple moves into an infamous New York apartment building to start a family. Things become frightening as Rosemary begins to suspect her unborn baby isn’t safe around their strange neighbors.



1 .) The Wicker Man (1973) directed by Robin Hardy

The Wicker Man (1973)

Lists It Appears On:

  • Book My Show
  • Contact Movies
  • CVLT Nation
  • Medium
  • Oul Books
  • The Cinemaholic
  • Ultra culture
  • Yes Clash

Police sergeant Neil Howie is called to an island village in search of a missing girl whom the locals claim never existed. Stranger still, however, are the rituals that take place there.



 


The 100+ Additional Best Occult Movies



 

# Movies Directors Lists
32 Above and Below  
Nettles Garden
33 Agadah  
Nettles Garden
34 Altered States Ken Russell Ultra culture
35 Angel Heart (1987)  
Horror News
36 Bedeviled  
Film About It
37 BELLADONNA OF SADNESS  
CVLT Nation
38 Beyond the Door (1974)  
Horror News
39
BLACK CANDLES (A/K/A LOS RITOS SEXUALES DEL DIABLO)
 
CVLT Nation
40 Black Sunday  
Contact Movies
41 Blood On Satan’s Claw (1971) Piers Haggard Oul Books
42 CHRIST/EL (A.Grützner)  
Nettles Garden
43 Dagon (2001) Stuart Gordon Oul Books
44 Damien: Omen II (1978) Don Taylor IMDB
45 Dark Places  
Film About It
46 Darkness (2002) Jaume Balagueró IMDB
47 Deliver Us From Evil (2014)  
Horror n Chill
48 Demons (1985)  
Horror n Chill
49 Devil’s Knot  
Film About It
50 Don’t Look Now (1973) Nicolas Roeg Oul Books
51 Drag Me to Hell  
Contact Movies
52 Elegy in Light  
Nettles Garden
53 End of Days (1999)  
Horror News
54 Evil Dead (1981)  
The Cinemaholic
55 Evilspeak (1981  
Horror News
56 Fear No Evil (1981)  
Horror News
57 GANJA & HESS (1973)   Yes Clash
58 Ghost Rider (2007)  
Horror News
59 Grand Tour Omeopatitco  
Nettles Garden
60 Halloweentown (1998)   Thrillist
61
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
 
Contact Movies
62 Happy Death Day  
Film About It
63 Häxan: A Story of Witchcraft Through the Ages Benjamin Christensen Ultra culture
64 Hellraiser (1987) Clive Barker Oul Books
65 Hellsaga  
Nettles Garden
66 Hermetica Komhata HK320  
Nettles Garden
67 Highway to Hell (1991)  
Horror News
68 Hocus Pocus (1993)   Thrillist
69 HOLY MOUNTAIN  
CVLT Nation
70 Holy Terrors (2017)  
Nettles Garden
71 House Of The Devil (2009) Ti West Oul Books
72 Insidious (2011)  
Horror n Chill
73 It Follows  
Film About It
74 Jenny loves Satan (2017)  
Nettles Garden
75 Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)   Thrillist
76 Left Hand Path (2017),  
Nettles Garden
77 Legend (1985)  
Horror News
78 LISA AND THE DEVIL (1974)   Yes Clash
79 MESSIAH OF EVIL (1973)   Yes Clash
80 METANOIA, METANOIA  
Nettles Garden
81 Modern Craft  
Nettles Garden
82 Mr. Frost (1990)  
Horror News
83
NECROMANCY (A/K/A THE WITCHING)
 
CVLT Nation
84 NEON DEMON  
CVLT Nation
85 Niggun  
Nettles Garden
86 Night of the Demons (1988)  
Horror n Chill
87 Ouija: Origin of Evil  
Film About It
88 Possession (1981)  
Horror n Chill
89 Practical Magic (1998)   Thrillist
90 PSYCHOMANIA (1973)   Yes Clash
91 Pyewacket (2017) Adam MacDonald IMDB
92 REC (2007)  
Horror n Chill
93 Regression  
Film About It
94 Requiem (2006)  
Horror n Chill
95 Ringu Hideo Nakata) Ultra culture
96 SHIVTA (2018)  
Nettles Garden
97 Society  
Film About It
98 Spawn (1997)  
Horror News
99 Stella Erratica  
Nettles Garden
100 Stigmata (1999)  
Horror News
101 Suspiria (2018)   Thrillist
102 The Amityville Horror (1979)  
Horror n Chill
103 The Babadook (2014)  
Horror n Chill
104 The Blacksmith  
Nettles Garden
105 The Blair Witch Project  
Contact Movies
106
THE BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW
 
CVLT Nation
107
THE BROTHERHOOD OF SATAN (1971)
  Yes Clash
108 THE CITY OF THE DEAD  
CVLT Nation
109 The Conjuring (2013)  
Horror n Chill
110 The Conspiracy (2012) Christopher McBride Oul Books
111 THE DEVIL INSIDE HER  
CVLT Nation
112 The Devil’s Advocate (1997)  
Horror News
113 THE DEVIL’S RAIN (1975)   Yes Clash
114 The Devils (1971) Ken Russell Oul Books
115 THE DUNWICH HORROR  
CVLT Nation
116 The Exorcist 3: Legion (1990)  
Horror n Chill
117 The Final Conflict (1981) Graham Baker IMDB
118 The Last Exorcism (2010)  
Horror News
119 The Legacy (1978)  
Horror News
120 The Nun  
Film About It
121 The Possession (2012)  
Horror n Chill
122 The Priests (2015)  
Horror n Chill
123 The Rite (2011)  
Horror n Chill
124 The Shining (1980)  
Horror n Chill
125
The strange case of Emily Grey (2016)
 
Nettles Garden
126
The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)
 
Horror n Chill
127 The Tale of the Idiot (2017)  
Nettles Garden
128 The Unholy (1988)  
Horror News
129 THE VIRGIN WITCH  
CVLT Nation
130 The Void (I) (2016) Jeremy Gillespie IMDB
131 THE VVITCH  
CVLT Nation
132 The Witches (1990) Nicolas Roeg Oul Books
133
The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
  Thrillist
134 To Help the Human Eye (2017)  
Nettles Garden
135 Vestitio  
Nettles Garden
136 Vibration: Symphony of Life  
Nettles Garden

 


 


14 Best Occult Film Sources/Lists



Source Article
Book My Show 5 Occult Movies Everyone Should Watch
Contact Movies The Witch And 9 More Epic Occult Horror Films
CVLT Nation The 20 Best Occult Films
Film About It Movies about Demons, Occult and Supernatural
Horror n Chill 24 Best occult Exorcist & Demon Possession Horror Movies on Netflix
Horror News Top 20 Satanic Movies
IMDB Best Occult Horror
Medium 5 Occult Films for the Halloween Season
Nettles Garden 28 Hermetic, Esoteric and Occult Films for 2018
Oul Books The Top 20 Mainstream Films About The Dark Occult
The Cinemaholic Occult Movies | 12 Best Mystic Films of All Time
Thrillist The Best Witch Movies to Satisfy All of Your Occult Cravings
Ultra culture Here’s 9 Great Movies About Magick and the Occult
Yes Clash TOP TEN OCCULT HORROR FILMS FROM THE 70’s