The 10 Most Common Demonic Possession Horror Tropes (& The Movies That Subvert Them)

Demonic possession films haven’t had a good movie in a few years, with My Best Friend’s Exorcism on Amazon being the newest and not receiving the most positive reviews. But while there are no great possession films out lately, there are some great movies from past years.

There are many popular tropes within these demonic possession films, from priests performing exorcisms to entire haunted families, and they’ve been iconic aspects of the genre, made popular by classics like The Exorcist. However, there are also films that subvert these traditional tropes, challenging viewers’ expectations and taking things in a new direction.

An Innocent Is Possessed – The Shining (1980)

One of the most common possession tropes in these films is an innocent, like a child or an elderly person, being overtaken by the forces of evil. The Exorcist is one of the most popular movies that popularized this iconic trope.

In The Shining, however, the possession of Jack Torrance is far from an innocent victim. While viewers can have pity for his young son, Danny, who is also tortured by ghosts, Jack is the one consumed by evil. But he was violent to his family in the past and has a tendency to put himself and his work before his family, making him less of an innocent victim of possession.

It’s The Devil – Sinister (2012)

One of the most popular tropes of possession films is the devil himself literally possessing the victim. However, Sinister focuses on a supernatural entity that isn’t actually a devil, or even clearly a demon, but more of an evil entity.

This movie subverts the expectation of a great evil being like the devil taking control of an innocent to torment. On the contrary, the entity in this film is quite mysterious and far more specific than other possessions. Instead of just possessing children to cause them harm, this demon focuses on using a child to destroy their whole family.

A Priest Performs An Exorcism – The Conjuring (2013)

Hollywood popularized the use of an exorcist in demonic possessions, especially in the cult classic The Exorcist. A priest is brought into many of these possession films, including a few films within The Conjuring movie franchise.

However, The Conjuring exorcism scene actually featured Ed Warren performing the exorcism in place of a priest. The Conjuring creates fear without gore, and this scene is one of the iconically scary moments without being too over the top. This movie is able to utilize the exorcism trope while putting a unique spin on it.

A Tormented Family – Night Of The Demons (1988)

Night of the Demons is one of the best demon horror movies, but it doesn’t follow all the tropes associated with demons. While these possession films often focus on the torment of a family caused by the possession of a loved one, this film takes a far different approach.

In it, a group of teenagers gathers at an abandoned house for a night of Halloween fun when they are suddenly terrorized by the possession of demons. While this movie still focuses on possession and torment, it isn’t as personal as many other demonic possession tropes.

An Expert Is Called In – The Evil Dead (1981)

One of the most common tropes in a possession film is the victims calling in an expert to help solve their problem. This is popular in many films, and the main focus is on The Conjuring franchise in which Ed and Lorraine Warren are the main contributors to almost every possession.

The Evil Dead brings a new meaning to demonic possession, however. By combining the “cabin in the woods” trope, this movie is able to move away from traditional viewer expectations. Without access to an expert for help, these characters are forced to fight evil on their own.

The Possessed Are Tortured – Insidious (2010)

Many possession films feature the victim of the demonic suffering from the forces of evil. They’re often afflicted by outside and internal forces created by the evil entity to torment them and break down their spirit.

Insidious follows many of these traditional demon tropes, but Dalton actually isn’t tortured by the demon. He is actually the cause of his issues because he’s unaware he can astral project and gets stuck in the spiritual world of the dead. While he does suffer in the alternate dimension, the evil entity intends to take his body, not torment him personally.

A Demon That Speaks In Tongues – Annabelle (2014)

One common theme in demonic possession is when the possessed person starts speaking in an unfamiliar tongue. It’s often a language that isn’t widely used, like Latin, which is seen as an offense to priests and Christianity.

However, though Annabelle is one of the most terrifying demonic possession movies of modern horror, it doesn’t utilize this trope. While a possessed object is a common tool in these films, the film doesn’t utilize the overused trope of unusual tongues.

The Dog Dies – The Amityville Horror (1979)

One particularly cruel, and less obvious, trope in these possession movies is the family pet dying. This has been seen in multiple movies, including The Conjuring and the remake of Amityville Horror.

However, the original Amityville Horror film chose not to kill the dog. In fact, that dog, Harry, actually played a role in saving the day. This trope seems to be largely overlooked because the dog is usually just the first sign of trouble, but viewers actually appreciate it when the film turns against this tradition and has the dog survive with the rest of the family.

A Focus On Christianity – The Possession (2012)

Many demonic possession movies have a strong focus on Christianity. This is often due to the fight between good and evil, often depicted through the use of the devil or a demon against a priest using faith as a way to fight the dark forces.

The Possession is one of the best possession movies because it follows traditional topes while also subverting some expectations. Instead of Christianity, this film focuses on Judaism and utilizes Hebrew culture and myths to develop a story similar to traditional devil possession.

The Demon Is Expelled – Hereditary (2018)

The most common ending in demonic possession films is when the victims finally get the upper hand and expel the demon. This leaves the viewers satisfied that after a long fight against the forces of evil, good wins over in the end.

Hereditary actually subverts this tradition, leaving the story on a more mysterious and ominous note. This movie follows similar dark themes associated with demonic possession storylines, but the ending is far less satisfying in terms of defeating the evil and allowing the innocents to get a happy ending.

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