12 Best Horror Movies About Demonic Possession

While this could easily fall in the many ‘00s Exorcist cash-ins, which became popular after the 1998 re-release of The Exorcist, this one is different. The story is told in retrospect as part of the testimony of a priest, who is being tried for murder, as a result of an attempted exorcism.

The suffering of the young victim is depicted in a very stark way. The absence of the overtly supernatural, except from the point of view of the victim, adds uncertainly to the priest’s claims. We are left asking ourselves if there really was a demon or if the priest is guilty of following an extreme ritual, denying medical intervention and causing the death of a frightened and confused young woman. We are biased to think there is a demon because this is an exorcism movie, but there is doubt.

The movie is made more upsetting by the fact that it is a true story. While The Exorcist is a fiction inspired by a vague news report, The Exorcism Of Emily Rose follows the true events more closely.

Unfortunately, the truth of the matter was far worse than what we see on screen. In real life, the physically and mentally vulnerable Anneliese Michel was subjected to a yearlong ritual by her parents and their priest, resulting in her death through malnutrition and dehydration. For this sickening act of neglect, her parents and priest received six month suspended jail sentences.

While an interesting way to depict the ambiguity and reality of exorcism, Emily Rose stands out because of its link to a brutal story of true crime.