10 Horror Movies Even More Disturbing Than You Thought
7. Many Serial Killers Were Just Possessed - Fallen
The woefully underappreciated 1998 horror film Fallen has several bone-chilling implications that audiences might take for granted on an initial viewing.
The plot revolves around Detective John Hobbes (Denzel Washington) as he faces off against Azazel, a fallen angel who can possess people simply by touching them, allowing him to leap from host to host at will.
Beyond the sheer spookiness of Azazel being able to basically take control of anybody he wants, there's the existentially terrifying conceit that those he possesses have absolutely no memory of being possessed.
And so, while the film begins with seemingly deranged serial killer Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas) being executed, once we're aware of the full extent of Azazel's capabilities, it appears that Azazel simply possessed an innocent Reese and used his body to carry out the killings.
Look closely when Reese is being executed and, a second or so before he succumbs to the poison gas, Reese's eyes bulge into a panic, which is likely because Azazel chose this moment to exit his body, giving the real, innocent Reese a brief moment to realise what's happening to him.
And on a much broader level, given that Azazel is an ancient demonic spirit and all, it's fair to assume that he's responsible for countless serial killers and mass murderers throughout history, hijacking innocent people to carry out his bidding. Now that's messed up.