10 Possession Movies You Need To Watch If You Liked The Exorcist

The Rite is a 2011 supernatural horror film starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, Colin O'Donahue and Alice Braga. It was written by Michael Petroni and directed by Mikael Hafstrom for Warner Bro. Pictures, and is a disturbing chiller that explores demons and possessions from the point of view of a priest.

The story follows main character Michael Kovak, who has become disillusioned with his career in the funeral home business. After seeking a change in lifestyle and searching for meaning, Kovak decides to become a priest, and thus engages in several years of training and learning about Catholicism. During his time in training, he learns about cases of possession and is eventually enlisted to help aid a priest - played by Hopkins. During this time, he witnesses genuine cases of demonic possession.

The film, like several others on this list, is said to be based on true-life accounts of a priest. A book was released first, in 2009, entitled The Rite: The Making of A Modern Day Exorcist, and was written by journalist Matt Baglio. Although the movie differs from the book, both focus a great deal on learning about the sacrament of exorcism to chilling detail.