5 Times Hollywood Tried to Exorcise Demons on the Silver Screen

The war between good and evil is as old as time itself, and Hollywood is getting ready to do battle with Satan and his demons again with this weekend’s release of Mark Neveldine’s The Vatican Tapes.

The film sees Michael Pena as Father Lozano who is fighting to save Angela’s (Olivia Taylor Dudley) soul from an ancient evil. In honor of the ritual of exorcism, check out five movies that tried to exorcise the devil/demons on the big screen.

1. The Exorcist (1973)

The 42-year-old film is the most iconic when it comes to exorcising the devil himself. Memorable scenes from the movie include Linda Blair vomiting (pea soup) on a priest as well as the “head spin” sequence (you can see below). The movie spawned two sequels and two prequels. 

2. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

The film is more of a courtroom drama than it is a horror movie. In the film, Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson) is on trial for the death of Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter). The film depicts the events leading up to exorcism and the actual exorcism by way of flashbacks.

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3. The Last Exorcism (2010)

Reverend Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) participates in a documentary that attempts to expose exorcisms as fraud. When he’s called in to perform an exorcism on a girl named Nell (Ashley Bell), he discovers demons are real.

Despite its title, The Last Exorcism received a sequel in 2013.

4. The Rite (2011)

Colin O’Donoghue plays Michael Kovak, a seminary student who lacks faith. He goes to Rome to take a class on exorcisms as a way to strengthen his faith. After meeting Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins), Michael begins to experience supernatural events that will require him to overcome his doubts if he’s going to contend with demons.

5. The Devil Inside (2012)

Isabella’s mother killed three clergymen during her exorcism. But after being declared insane, the charges are dropped and she is sent to a mental institution. Isabella (Fernanda Andrade) sets out to make a documentary about her mother and finds out her mother isn’t suffering from a medical condition, but  rather a possession.