12 Best Horror Movies About Demonic Possession

Only Stephen King could make a story about a gaudy possessed car so brilliant. And only Stephen King could release a novel and have it adapted for film before the end of the same year.

There is a popular belief that earlier Stephen King film adaptations are of dubious quality. While a few lean towards the lower budget, lower quality end of the spectrum, most are the opposite. Just look at the list of directors who took on King’s material in the ‘70s and early ‘80s. Brian De Palma, Stanley Kubrick, George A. Romero, David Cronenberg and in 1983, adapting Christine, John Carpenter. What a dream team, Carpenter and King.

Even though Carpenter, the consummate auteur, said he only took on the project as a job, his talent is still on full display and we get a fantastically high energy offering.

Arnie is a gawky teenager who is hated by everyone, including his own parents, for no apparent reason. Seriously, people are so mean to this kid that you can’t help to wonder why. Has he done something awful that the audience doesn’t know about? Anyway, in an attempt to raise his status and gain some independence from his hateful parents, he buys a banged-up car and lovingly restores it.

Unfortunately, this car is possessed by an evil spirit. It’s domineering, jealous and murderous and quickly begins to cause carnage. This rampage is mostly directed towards all those mean buggers who hate its new owner. They mostly deserve it too.

Don’t be put off by the offbeat premise. Christine is fun, scary and satisfying to watch. It’s a distinctly American take on the classic trope of possessed objects. Told in the way that only Stephen King could tell.