10 Best Horror Movies About Hell

Abandon all hope, ye who enter the cinema!

Jacobs Ladder
TriStar Pictures

If there's one thing that can get people everywhere terrified, whether they believe in it or not, it's the concept of Hell.

Eternal damnation is by far the worst fate anyone has ever conjured up, and for many people, it's a genuine threat. The land of fire and brimstone has become one of the most terrifying sources of art in history, as depictions of the torture and horror of the Devil's domain are often unwaveringly brutal.

Thankfully, for those who don't mind a spot of damnation, the horror genre has often dipped its toes into the burning cauldron and produced some shockingly good (or evil, depending on your perspective) flicks that paint a striking picture of what Hell could look like.

Some of these movies go for the classic fiery pits we've come to associate with the concept, and others imagine Hell in an entirely different light. But, all of them are fascinating experiences that take you to some pretty uncomfortable places.

Seeing characters in an entirely unwinnable scenario staring down eternal torment is never an easy watch. Still, if you're one of the people who just can't help themselves, then these are the movies for you.

10. As Above, So Below

Jacobs Ladder
Universal Pictures

Some places in the world simply feel tailor-made for horror, and the Catacombs of Paris is easily one of them. Plenty of people have discussed the skull infested, nightmarish underground of the city as a gateway to Hell, and this movie decided to run with that concept.

As Above, So Below takes you on a found footage journey through the Catacombs as a crew of documentary filmmakers wander around, searching for a legendary stone. However, instead of finding rich history and knowledge, they encounter cultists, demonic forces and terrifying wrongdoings from their pasts.

The film loosely reflects the nine circles of Hell, popularised by Dante's Inferno from The Divine Comedy (get used to hearing about this epic poem, as it's going to come up a lot). Combining this iconic depiction of Hell with a real-life place is a fascinating way to bring it to the modern world and give it a grounding in our own reality.

This movie's scares are great, and while the characters are hardly Shakespearian in quality, their tragic backstories and the turmoil they face makes all of the shocking images feel cathartic and appropriate to the narrative.

 
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