Horror movies are some of the most engaging and horrifying stories and projects out there. People all over flock to theaters and their couches to get a good thrill. Some horror movies love to challenge the human mind and provide deeper, thought-provoking ideas than a simple jump scare. Other horror movies enjoy just terrifying your adrenaline into overdrive.
Cults and horror have long gone hand-in-hand. Cults have endured throughout history as a beacon of something odd and strange, representing the fringes of society and fanatical religious beliefs. Many cults orbit around things most people would find terrifying. Cults throughout modern history have led to real deaths (see the Manson family, Aum Shinrikyo, etc…).
For these reasons, horror obviously loves to tackle the idea of cults. And many do so in the most brutal of fashions.
Below, we’ve compiled a top ten list of some of the best horror movies about cults that you can give a watch this October in preparation for Halloween! Please note that these are not in any particular order, as the best is really up to you to decide.
10. Midsommar
You’ve most likely heard of the Ari Aster film about a horrifying pagan cult in the heartlands of Sweden, but if you haven’t, it’s got a genuinely terrifying premise.
Midsommar follows the story of a cult that convinces a grieving woman (Florence Pugh) to perform barbaric, ritualistic violence. The bloody and violent film does not shy away from exploring the topics of depression and trauma, and the everlasting impact of them.
9. Hereditary
Hereditary is often considered a master piece and a psychologically thought-provoking film. At the center of its story is a grieving family that must contend with their youngest daughter dying in a gruesome fashion.
Following her death, the family begins to realize that there are supernatural forces at play and the connection they have to a cult that seems to follow the family everywhere.
8. The Void
This indie horror film from 2016 was produced in Canada and showcases the terror of a cult in the midst of a place we often consider safe: A hospital.
The main characters are all trapped within a hospital and cut off from the outside by a terrifying cult. The film is inspired by Lovecraftian themes. Along with its monster imagery, the cult remains its most terrifying element, with silent figures dressed in white robes with black triangles on their faces that feel like they’re staring right into your soul.
7. Rosemary’s Baby
Rosemary’s Baby is a genuinely terrifying film that tackles the difficulties of pregnancy, but this time, with a terrifying cult at its center.
Main character Rosemary Woodhouse learns that her husband, her doctor, and the people close to her have all pledged allegiance to a dark and satanic cult. It’s considered to be one of the best cult horror movies of its time.
6. Eyes Wide Shut
Stanley Kubrick is one of cinema’s most iconic directors, with a true eye for the terrifying and mind-bending. Eyes Wide Shut is one of his best works, with an iconic cult at its center.
Bill Harford (Tom Cruise), the character of Eyes Wide Shut, gains access to a cult of elites who indulge in illegal activities and hedonism. It’s also revealed that the cult are controlled by a group called the “Red Cloak,” who seem to genuinely be the ones behind society’s inner workings.
5. Starry Eyes
A film about occultism in Hollywood, Starry Eyes released back in 2014 and tackles a supposed dark world beneath the folds of Hollywood and filmography.
Sarah (Alexandra Essoe) must grapple with an Illuminati-style cult that worships a demon that is reborn through her. It’s violent, dark, and has a deeper message behind it.
4. Kill List
Kill List is a psychological horror film that slowly leads up to a downright chilling finale. The story of Kill List revolves around two contract killers as they go through their list and take out people they must kill. However, they soon both realize that they have been given the job by sinister groups.
Eventually, the killers are turned into targets for the cult’s rituals and become a source of their horrific entertainment.
3. Martyrs
French film, Martyrs, portrays a cult where young women are driven to points of insanity with the belief that it will trigger some form of enlightenment.
The two characters at the center of it must deal with this terrifying cult after enduring ages of abuse and psychological torment. It’s a super gory film though, so definitely not for the faint of heart at all.
Come to think of it, these movies are not for gore-haters out there.
2. The Ritual
Likely inspired by The Blair Witch Project, The Ritual tells the story of a group of hikers who stumble upon a cult in the woods that wants to summon an ancient demon.
The movie starts off in a slow-burn, but eventually becomes a horrific monster film after the demon is summoned, with a powerful shift in tone near the end.
1. Apostle
Apostle is considered a terrifying, slow-burn film by Netflix that shows the story of a man named Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) who wants to rescue his kidnapped sister from a cult in the middle of an island in Wales.
He joins the cult under the guise that he is a convert, but quickly realizes that he’s dealing with something much more sinister and he must fight to save his sister against the deranged cultists.
Conclusions
With all of these movies to pick from, it’s hard to tell what’s truly the best. So, let us know in the comments below which of these ten are your favorites and why! Also, which ones do you consider to be the scariest?
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