10 Terrifying Horror Movies Set In Asylums

1. The Exorcist III (1990)

A Cure For Wellness (2016)
Morgan Creek Entertainment

Two-time Oscar-winning masterpiece The Exorcist is frequently considered to be one of - if not the - best horror films ever made. Because of this prestige (and the atrocious sequel that followed), many forget just how spectacular The Exorcist III is.

Written and directed by William Peter Blatty (and adapted from his novel Legion), this underappreciated sequel takes place 15 years after the first film and sees Jason Miller return as Father Karras. Over a decade after exorcising the demon from Regan, he’s found by an old friend, William Kinderman (George C. Scott), in a psychiatric ward with no memory of who he is.

Kinderman is a detective investigating a series of gruesome killings resembling those committed by a deceased murderer (an outstanding Brad Dourif), and his path leads him to this hospital where strange and demonic events begin to occur.

Despite undergoing many last-minute changes (including the addition of the climactic exorcism scene), The Exorcist III remains a wholly strange and suspenseful viewing experience.

Moreover, this entry is also home to one of the most nerve-wracking and effective jump scares to have ever graced the big screen.

Contributor
Contributor

Glasgow-based cinephile who earned a Masters degree in film studies to spend their time writing about cinema, video games, and horror.