Tag Archives: Lorraine Warren

Feb 10 2026

My Top 15 Possession Films

Supernatural horror is my favourite category of horror films (and books for that matter), and in that subgenre, possession films (and books) are my favourites. I’ve seen and read so many that they tend to blur together, but a few of them really stand out. Here are my top 15 possession films. You’ll notice, when called for, I put “true story” in quotations. I definitely don’t believe any of this stuff happened for real, with the exception of two court cases for numbers 7 and 2. But everything surrounding them, that’s a big no. Enjoy!

Number 15

Title: Prey for the Devil
Year: 2022
Starring: Jacqueline Byers, Christian Navarro, Posy Taylor, Colin Salmon, Nicholas Ralph, Virginia Madsen, Ben Cross, Debora Zhecheva
Directed by: Daniel Stamm
Plot: A nun prepares to perform an exorcism and comes face to face with a demonic force with mysterious ties to her past.
Why I love it: This is the film that I’ve seen most recently, and I have to say, I was quite impressed. It didn’t reinvent the wheel or anything, but it was a good time.

Number 14

Title: Late Night with the Devil
Year: 2023
Starring: David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ingrid Torelli, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Rhys Auteri, Georgina Haig, Josh Quong Tart
Directed by: Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes
Plot: A late night tv host in 1977, in an effort to save his dying show, has on a girl who is supposedly possessed in a live broadcast that goes horribly wrong.
Why I love it: This was quite a unique film, and they did an amazing job recreating the vibe of a cheesy 70’s talk show. It might have been higher on my list, but I wasn’t a big fan of the ending.

Number 13

Title: The Possession of Michael King
Year: 2014
Starring: Shane Johnson, Ella Anderson, Cara Pifko, Julie McNiven, Tomas Arana, Patricia Healy, Cullen Douglas, Jed Rees, Dale Dickey
Directed by: David Jung
Plot: Michael is an atheist who recently lost his wife in an unfortunate accident. After confronting his late wife’s “spiritual adviser” (a tarot card reader), he decides to make a documentary featuring what he believes will be proof that the supernatural doesn’t exist.
Why I love it: This little film is so much better than it had any right being. As someone who hates found footage, I found this film so good that I was able to look past it.

Number 12

Title: Evil Dead
Year: 2013
Starring: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Jessica Lucas, Lou Taylor Pucci, Elizabeth Blackmore, Inca the Dog
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Plot: Five friends head to a remote cabin to help one of them kick a drug habit, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods.
Why I love it: I hated the original, but this remake/sequel is pretty awesome. So much more gory than I usually like my films, but it was very well done, so I was able to enjoy it despite that.

Number 11

Title: The Blackcoat’s Daughter
Year: 2015
Starring: Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Boynton, Emma Roberts, James Remar, Lauren Holly, Greg Ellwand
Directed by: Osgood Perkins
Plot: During winter break, two students stay in an all-girls boarding school in the company of a terrifying presence.
Why I love it: Wonderful, quiet, and weird. I loved it. What a gut-punch of an ending.

Number 10

Title: The Vatican Tapes
Year: 2015
Starring: Olivia Taylor Dudley, Michael Peña, Dougray Scott, John Patrick Amedori, Peter Andersson, Djimon Hounsou, Kathleen Robertson
Directed by: Mark Neveldine
Plot: A priest and two Vatican exorcists must do battle with an ancient satanic force to save the soul of a young woman.
Why I love it: I really wasn’t expecting much when I picked this up in a Walmart bargain bin. Imagine my surprise when I actually loved it! Just a fun, good time.

Number 9

Title: Ouija: Origin of Evil
Year: 2016
Starring: Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Annalise Basso, Henry Thomas, Parker Mack, Halle Charlton, Kate Siegel, Doug Jones
Directed by: Mike Flanagan
Plot: In 1967 Los Angeles, a girl tries to communicate with her late father through a Ouija board, but unleashes a demon instead.
Why I love it: I had no intention of watching it, since the first one was awful. But the trailer intrigued me enough that I gave it a chance. And I’m glad I did. Mike Flanagan can really do no wrong.

Number 8

Title: Fallen
Year: 1998
Starring: Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, Embeth Davidtz, James Gandolfini, Elias Koteas, Gabriel Casseus, Robert Joy
Directed by: Gregory Hoblit
Plot: Homicide detective John Hobbes witnesses the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese. Soon after the execution, the killings start again, and they are very similar to Reese’s style. He is then taunted by an entity that can jump from body to body.
Why I love it: This is such an under-rated gem, I rarely hear people talking about it, which is a real shame. It’s a great story with a stacked cast. It’s not a conventional possession movie, but still fits the category.

Number 7

Title: The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
Year: 2021
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi O’Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, Julian Hilliard, John Noble, Eugenie Bondurant, Shannon Kook, Steve Coulter
Directed by: Michael Chaves
Plot: Arne Cheyenne Johnson stabs and murders his landlord, claiming to be under demonic possession while Ed and Lorraine Warren investigate the case and try to prove his innocence.
Why I love it: I may be in the minority here, but this is my second favourite Conjuring movie. I just love the characters so much (as long as I separate them from their real-life counterparts), and I love spending time with them. Based on a “true story”, based on The Devil in Connecticut by Gerald Brittle.

Number 6

Title: The Exorcist
Year: 1973
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow, Lee J Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, William O’Malley
Directed by: William Friedkin
Plot: When a mysterious entity possesses a young girl, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.
Why I love it: I mean, it’s the OG, how could I not love it? I feel like I should apologize for not having it higher, but my top 5 are really, really good, hehe. A wonderful case study in faith and despair. Based on The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty.

Number 5

Title: Stigmata
Year: 1999
Starring: Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathan Pryce, Nia Long, Thomas Kopache, Enrico Colantoni, Rade Serbedzija, Dick Latessa
Directed by: Rupert Wainwright
Plot: When a young woman becomes afflicted by stigmata, a priest is sent to investigate her case, which may have severe ramifications for his faith and for the Catholic church itself.
Why I love it: My lifelong crush on Gabriel Byrne aside, this is just an awesome movie. I must have seen it over 20 times!

Number 4

Title: The Exorcist III
Year: 1990
Starring: George C Scott, Ed Flanders, Brad Dourif, Jason Miller, Nicol Williamson, Scott Wilson, Nancy Fish
Directed by: William Peter Blatty
Plot: A police lieutenant uncovers more than he bargained for as his investigation of a series of murders, which have all the hallmarks of the deceased Gemini serial killer, leads him to question the patients of a psychiatric ward.
Why I love it: It may upset some people that this one is higher than the first one, but I simply like this one more. George C Scott was born to play this role, and Brad Dourif is absolutely electric as the Gemini killer. And it has the best jump scare in movie history, full stop. Based on Legion by William Peter Blatty.

Number 3

Title: Deliver Us From Evil
Year: 2014
Starring: Eric Bana, Edgar Ramírez, Joel McHale, Olivia Munn, Sean Harris, Chris Coy, Lulu Wilson, Olivia Horton, Dorian Missick, Mike Houston
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Plot: A detective and a priest join forces to stop an ancient evil that is spreading across New York.
Why I love it: As soon as I saw it was directed by Scott Derrickson, I knew I would love it. It’s got great characters, good mystery, some tense scenes, and a killer exorcism. What else could you want? Based on a “true story”, based on Beware the Night by Ralph Sarchie.

Number 2

Title: The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Year: 2005
Starring: Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Jennifer Carpenter, Campbell Scott, Colm Feore, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Joshua Close, JR Bourne, Mary Beth Hurt
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Plot: A lawyer takes on a negligent homicide case involving a priest who performed an exorcism on a young girl.
Why I love it: Scott Derrickson again, I know. I didn’t plan it like this, I swear! This film is at times poignant, at times tense, and at times downright scary. Based on a “true story”, based on The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel by Dr Felicitas Goodman.

Number 1

Title: The Conjuring
Year: 2013
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston, Joey King, Shanley Caswell, Shannon Kook, John Brotherton, Hayley McFarland, Mackenzie Foy, Kyla Deaver, Sterling Jerins, Joseph Bishara
Directed by: James Wan
Plot: Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.
Why I love it: This is my comfort movie. When I don’t feel well, if I’m in the hospital, or if I simply don’t know what to do with myself, I’ll throw this film on and I’ll immediately feel better. Based on a “true story”, based on House of Darkness House of Light by Andrea Perron.

Dec 18 2025

Mel’s 5 Second Review: The Conjuring – Last Rites

The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)
Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Mia Tomlinson, Ben Hardy, Steve Coulter, Rebecca Calder, Elliot Cowan, Beau Gadsdon, and Kíla Lord Cassidy
Directed by: Michael Chaves

The 4th and supposed final film in the wildly popular Conjuring franchise, I had high hopes for this film, seeing how much I loved the others. And while it’s not a bad movie by any means, it is the least good of the bunch.

Ed and Lorraine find themselves this time facing an entity that hits a little too close to home when it reaches out to attack their daughter, Judy.

I was so excited for this film that I did something I never do: I bought the film as soon as it was available on YouTube for either 25 or 30 bucks. I’m not exactly swimming in the dough, so I generally wait til it’s at least down to 15. And while I’m not entirely mad for spending the money, it really could have waited. Ah well.

First the good. It had a banger of an opening. Very atmospheric, very creepy. I was all in at that point. After that, however, things just got a little… formulaic I guess you could say. I can picture the producers sitting around the table smoking cigarettes and saying “just do what the others did and, oh, add tons of jumpscares and creepy smiles. People like those, right?” I really don’t know why every single entity has to smile these days. Sure, once can be creepy, if it’s done right. But all of them? All the time? Nah. The Conjuring had zero creepy smiles and was so much creepier. But I digress.

Everything in the film looked good. Most of the effects and makeup were very well done, as usual. It’s a little gorier than the previous entries, but it was done well. I even had to look away once (I’m not a huge fan of gore, it tends to make me cringe and look away). The acting was all good, but it has been consistently good for these films, so I wasn’t too surprised there. There were a few good, creepy set pieces, but unfortunately most of them ended with a “graaaahhhh!” jumpscare (cue over-dramatic musical sting here).

So do I recommend it? Yes? I guess? If you loved the series as I do, you’ll likely have a good time with it. It’s definitely not bad, just a little underwhelming as a final curtain film. I give it a decent 7/10.

M.

This film is currently for rent or purchase on YouTube and Prime.

Mar 10 2022

Mel’s 5 Second Review: The Conjuring, The Devil Made Me Do It

Conjuring 3The Conjuring, The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi O’Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, Julian Hilliard, John Noble, Shannon Kook, and Eugenie Bondurant
Directed by: Michael Chaves

This is the third instalment in the wildly popular The Conjuring films. And honestly, it has not lost any of its steam. Or thrills.

After the intense exorcism of young David, Arne invites the demon into himself instead of the boy. Just when things look like they’ve gone back to normal, Arne starts seeing things, which escalates into him killing a man. Enter demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, who convince the defence lawyer to plead innocent due to demonic possession.

“Based on a true story”, and yes, I’m using giant quotations for that. I don’t believe a word of it, but I can’t deny that I love pretty much everything about this film. The love story between Ed and Lorraine is wonderful, even if in real life they were nothing but scam artists. Fans of the other two Conjuring films might find this one a little different, a little slower, but I found it great. All of the acting and effects were stellar, as expected. They did a good job making Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga 50-ish. I couldn’t tell if it was done digitally or with makeup, so job well done. The story was more detective-like, with Ed and Lorraine trying to figure out what happened. My dad actually found the film too slow, enjoying only the beginning and end, but I thought the pacing was just fine. But it’s true that if you don’t like slower films, then I would not reccomend to watch this. All in all, I thought it was bomb, and it gets an almost perfect 9/10 from me.

This film is currently available for rental and buying on YouTube (which is where I buy my films) and Amazon Prime. Enjoy!

M.

Nov 8 2019

Top 8 Onscreen Demons

Movies featuring demons are numerous, but there’s really only a small amount of them that are good. With such a high schlock content, a lot of films about or starring demons are awful, either being boring or stupid, or even both. But when done right, they can be downright terrifying.

I’ll only be including films in which the demon has a physical body, so no possession films. I’ll do another post dedicated to that sub-genre, since there are so many. So without any further ado, let’s get this show on the road. Oh, and spoiler alert, as usual.

 

NUMBER EIGHT

 Dogma

“No pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater… than central air.”

Name: Azrael
From What?: Dogma
Played by: Jason Lee
Scary or sexy: Sexy-ish (he was kinda cute back in the day, hehe)
His Goal: To negate all of existence. Apparently hell is awful.
Alive at the end?: No
If not, how did (s)he bite it, and by whom?: Silent Bob killed him with a golf club that had been blessed by a priest.

 

NUMBER SEVEN

HellBoy

“In the dark I heard your voice, what did you say?”
“I said, ‘Hey, you, on the other side – let her go. Because for her I will cross over, and then you’ll be sorry!'”

Name: Hellboy
From What?: Hellboy
Played by: Ron Perlman
Scary or sexy: Neither, really. Liz digs it, though, hehe.
His Goal: To stop the incoming Apocalypse and save his lady love.
Alive at the end?: Yes
If not, how did (s)he bite it, and by whom?: N/A

 

NUMBER SIX

Sinister

“The symbol is associated with a Pagan deity named Bughuul. He consumes the souls of human children. The ancient church believed that Bughuul actually lived in the images themselves and that they were gateways into his realm. Children exposed to these images were especially vulnerable to Bughuul’s abductions.”

Name: Bughuul
From What?: Sinister
Played by: Nick King
Scary or sexy: Scary
His Goal: Infecting a child so that he/she kills their whole family, then he abducts the child.
Alive at the end?: Yes
If not, how did (s)he bite it, and by whom?: N/A

 

NUMBER FIVE

Constantine

“Word is you’re on your way down. Fresh meat. Finger lickin’ good.”

Name: Balthazar
From What?: Constantine
Played by: Gavin Rossdale
Scary or sexy: Sexy (at least until John melts his skin with holy water)
His Goal: The usual demon stuff, plus mess with John as much as he can
Alive at the end?: Yes, but is sent back to hell.
If not, how did (s)he bite it, and by whom?: N/A

 

NUMBER FOUR

Buffy

“You don’t know how to kill this thing?”
“I thought I might try violence.”

Name: Der Kindestod
From What?: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Played by: James Jude Courtney
Scary or sexy: Very, very scary
His Goal: Feeding on the life essence of children in a hospital.
Alive at the end?: No
If not, how did (s)he bite it, and by whom?: Buffy killed it by snapping its neck.

 

NUMBER THREE

Angel

“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. That was… you were so… brave!”
“You think you could say that again without so much shock in your voice? You’re stepping on my moment of manliness here.”
Name: Doyle
From What?: Angel
Played by: Glenn Quinn
Scary or sexy: Sexy (until the demon comes out)
His Goal: To help Angel save people using his visions from the “powers-that-be”.
Alive at the end?: No
If not, how did (s)he bite it, and by whom?: He sacrifices himself to turn off a device that would kill a lot of humans (and I cried like a baby).

NUMBER TWO
Conjuring 2
“Your name gives me dominion over you, demon, and I do know your name! You are Valak! The defiler! The profane, the marquis of snakes! In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, I condemn you back to hell!”

Name: Valak
From What?: The Conjuring 2 / The Nun
Played by: Bonnie Aarons
Scary or sexy: Very, very scary. Omg, did this thing give me the absolute heeb.
His Goal: To kill Ed Warren via a haunting he’s investigating in England.
Alive at the end?: Yes, but is banished back to hell by Lorraine.
If not, how did (s)he bite it, and by whom?: N/A

NUMBER ONE


“Easy, love. If you remember our time in Mesopotamia the way I do, you know I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

Name: Various, there are so many demons in this world, with Crowley being the most important.
From What?: Supernatural
Played by: Various, but Mark Sheppard plays Crowley
Scary or sexy: Both
His Goal: Again, various things. Crowley wants to be the King of Hell, Lilith wants to start Armageddon, etc.
Alive at the end?: Both
If not, how did (s)he bite it, and by whom?:  Those that are killed are usually done so by Sam or Dean with their special knife or gun.

And that’s it for the demons. Who (or what) are your favourites? let me know in the comments, and I’ll see you next time!

M.

Aug 13 2014

Mel’s 5 Second Review: The Demonologist audiobook

The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren
Written by: Gerald Brittle
Read by: Todd Haberkorn

demonologist

Would I recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, definitely! I loved it! Superbly read by Todd Haberkorn. I don’t believe for a moment that everything (or even anything) in the book is actually true, but it was nonetheless a fascinating read. Two enthusiastic thumbs up! 😀

What about Todd Haberkorn’s performance did I like?
He gave each character his own unique voice without sounding silly, which is harder than you might think. Especially for a horror story. His demon voices were especially well done, very creepy.

Was this a book I wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes! And that’s exactly what I did! It was the first time I’d done that, hehe. It was “only” 10 hours though, so it’s not too bad.

Additional comments?
If you like supernatural stuff, and especially if you liked the film The Conjuring, you’ll probably like this as much as I did then.

Enjoy!! 🙂

M.