10 Most Terrifying Horror Movie Cults

Whether greeting you on your own doorstep like a spiritual salesman or inviting you into the seemingly quaint traditions of their remote rural community, nothing says creepiness quite like the superficial amiability which masks the sinister practices of a religious cult.

Of course, it's not just figurative masks that make cults prime nightmare fuel. Most of them come readily equipped with literal masks, hoods and a whole litany of ominous ceremonial paraphernalia just perfect for establishing an atmosphere of dread.

Scariest of all, though, is that cults are not simply your average evil-for-evil's-sake horror villains. They have the genuine terror of the true believer. These are people with an unbending spiritual certainty that what they are doing is for the greater good, that nothing they do crosses a line, however horrific, if the ends could justify the means.

This list has decided to leave horror movies about straight-up devil worship for another time, so no place for the Satanic cults of Rosemary's Baby or The Devil Rides Out here. We're more concerned right now with cults who genuinely believe that their creepy rituals and sacrifices will make the world a better place.

Here, then, are ten of the most disturbing instances that really deliver on the "cult" in "cult horror." (There will be spoilers for all the movies mentioned here)

The most enduring horror movie cult, the Children Of The Corn are still going strong after four decades, a record which would put most of the short-lived cults of the real world to shame.

Stephen King's 1977 Penthouse Magazine short story about the small town of Gatlin where the children sacrifice all adults to He Who Walks Behind The Rows, a being that lives in the neighbouring cornfields, may not be the master of horror's best work, but it is the one that has spawned the most movies.

Since the original 1984 movie there have been nine further instalments (up to 2018's Children Of The Corn: Runaway) and a made-for-TV remake, so there's definitely plenty of audience still for the message of creepy child preacher Isaac's mix of Old Testament evangelising, Amish-style costume and huge quantities of maize-based folk art.

And, hey, maybe you can see why, because unlike the idols worshipped by some movie cults, the object of the Children Of The Corn's devotion doesn't just talk the talk, but also genuinely walks the walks (behind the rows), actually providing them with lush corn harvests at the mere the cost of the life of anyone over 19.