10 Horror Films the Christian Should Consider
by: James Harleman
I know, I know, in many Christian circles the genre itself is considered forbidden and inherently wicked. It’s fair to say there are a great number of scary movies that possess questionable content, glorifying evil or depicting unbiblical worldviews, that many Christians could probably skip. The reality is, however, the same can be said for every genre, including kid’s cartoons! Even “faith-based” movies can be wicked when they (intentionally or not) depict a distorted view of the gospel. In some ways that might even be more insidious than watching the movie Insidious.
My view is that Horror is one of the unique genres in Hollywood – and our increasingly secular culture - that dares to explore subjects like the afterlife, the existence of demons and spiritual forces beyond the physical world, as well as being honest about human nature in the face of fear and death. Rather than glorifying evil, many of these films act like Grimm’s Fairy Tales, cautionary stories about the inherent dangers of dabbling with the occult. The opportunities for conversation with family, other Christians and even non-Christians may be far richer and complex than a family film where the dog saves the day. We shouldn’t open a door to the occult, but Christians should consider opening a door to that conversation (something movies are often good at).
Here's a list of 10 chilling films that range from extraterrestrials to the supernatural, starting with some “ease-in” PG-13 options and escalating to heavier fare. Sure, they may generate momentary jump scares, but for the Christian that fears the Lord these movies hold no lasting dread… just stimulation for conversation that might just lead to considering the perfect love that casts OUT our fear.
Editor’s Note: As always, be sure to do some research as some of the following movies contain explicit content.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005). When young Emily dies following an exorcism, a priest (Tom Wilkinson) is arrested and charged with negligent homicide. A young lawyer (Laura Linney) takes on his case, but it’s more than the priest who’s being taken to court; the reality of demons – and by implication faith in God – is being put on trial.
The Ring (2002). Before Pirates of the Caribbean, Gore Verbinski directed this scary tale of a journalist (Naomi Watts) who stumbles into the story of a cursed videotape, which seemingly causes anyone who watches it to die seven days later. It’s a race against time to find the reason, and solution… assuming the supernatural operates on reasonable terms that humans can understand and appease.
The Lost Boys (1987). Starring Kiefer Sutherland, horror meets comedy as two teenage boys (Jason Patric, Corey Haim) must move to a coastal town and live with their eccentric grandfather. A lot of people go missing in Santa Carla, and the boys soon find out why; vampires are not only preying on townspeople but inviting select others in to expand their clan. Good for conversation about how vampirism mirrors our sin nature and cursed state, and various temptations we may face to embrace it. Directed by Joel Schumacher.
Frailty (2001). An FBI agent receives a late-night visitor (Matthew McConaughey) who proceeds to painstakingly confess the crimes of his family. His single father (Bill Paxton, who also directed) came home years ago with a “vision from God” that their family must seek and destroy demons who look like humans. But demons aren’t real, right? And God would never… or would he? A sober exploration of faith and sight.
Pitch Black (2000). A sci-fi chiller in the spirit of Alien, this formative film for Vin Diesel casts him as Riddick, an escaped convict crash-landed on a desert planet with a handful of survivors including the ship’s pilot (Rahda Mitchell). Directed by David Twohy, this creepy creature feature explores themes of guilt and morality, with a salient parallel of substitutionary sacrifice and rebirth.
Paranormal Activity (2007). This entry in the “found footage” genre chronicles a troubled woman, Katie, and her brash boyfriend, Micah, as they unravel the reasons a spiritual presence is troubling Katie and haunting their apartment. Trouble is, Micah believes his camera and wits will be enough to expose and deal with something that may be demonic.
The Thing (1982). This (literally) chilling tale set in Antarctica deals with more abstract fears: fear of the unknown, mistrust of one another, and fear of assimilation and loss of identity as these remote researchers come face to faces with a shapeshifting creature from another world. This John Carpenter directed classic stars Kurt Russell.
The Conjuring (2013). “The fairy tale is true. The devil does exist. God indeed exists. And… our very destiny hinges upon which one we elect to follow.” This quote by the real Ed Warren explains why this fictionalized story loosely based on his experiences is worthy of a look. Directed by James Wan, evil is not glorified in this horror film, but rather the importance of God and church in opposing and overcoming it.
The Black Phone (2021). A young girl prays desperately for help to find her missing brother, who has been abducted by a maniacal killer (Ethan Hawke) and trapped in a basement. When an unplugged phone rings, the boy finds himself talking with the killer’s deceased victims. Will Jesus answer his sister’s prayers, or will the voices from beyond the grave give him the means to escape? Scott Derrickson directs.
The Devil’s Advocate (1997). This Taylor Hackford film depicts an earnest young lawyer (Keanu Reeves) as he’s wooed by a prestigious law firm in New York; he and his wife (Charlize Theron) go from rags to riches overnight. But as the fresh recruit gets to know his seasoned boss, John Milton (Al Pacino) he realizes he hasn’t just sold out; he may have sold his soul. While the content is indeed graphic, this remains, in my opinion, the most accurate portrayal of how the devil tempts, accuses, and deceives.
James Harleman has written and taught on film and theology for over two decades at conferences, churches, schools and through his website, Cinemagogue. He co-hosts the popular film and faith podcast "Popcorn Theology".
As an ordained minister, James travels and lectures on cinema and spirituality, as well as speaking and teaching on a wide variety of cultural and theological topics. He's contributed articles and reviews to The Resurgence, Reel World Theology, Hollywood Jesus and Collide Magazine. (He also made the Kessel Run in less than eleven parsecs.)
James enjoys watching movies with his cinephile wife Kathryn who shares his passion for cosplay, karaoke, sci-fi, horror movies, and comic books. They're presently working to publish several short stories and a series of novels.
He is also part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor. Take him away.