When horror films draw inspiration from religion, directors frequently turn to Catholicism, utilizing themes, symbols, and rituals like exorcisms because spirituality provides a bewitching mix of the mundane and the supernatural.
The Appeal of Catholic Imagery and Theology
For Hollywood, Catholicism can be an irresistible topic filled with mysterious conclaves, Gothic churches, dripping candles, and ominous devotional music. Matthew Cressler, co-author of the book Body And Blood,
points out that when a child is possessed or a vampire is at the door, characters do not call a Methodist. Beyond the visual aesthetics, Catholic theology naturally interweaves with horror. Believers have long associated suffering with bearing the cross of Christ to draw closer to him.
From Real Rites to Cinematic Horror
Director Aislinn Clarke notes that a Catholic childhood serves as perfect preparation for horror, citing saints who plucked out eyeballs alongside traditions of wearing hair shirts and flagellating. Movies ratchet these concepts up to 11, such as in the indie horror film Saint Maud,
where a devoutly Catholic nurse lines the soles of her shoes with metal spikes to recreate Christ’s suffering. While average churchgoers may not hold extreme views, the church still maintains a formal rite of exorcism. Reverend Aaron Williams, a pastor at St. Mary’s Basilica in Mississippi who consulted on the 2025 horror film The Ritual,
explains that a priest acts with the authority of Christ through ordination. Ultimately, films utilize this heightened authority either to save characters from the demonic or to point out broken elements within the church itself.
