[Editorial] Top 9 Greatest Satanic and Occult Films Of All Time

The very definition of the term occult is a deep knowledge of that which is hidden and is used to describe a set of beliefs that are supernatural in nature and outside the scope of science or religious faiths. Including a belief in mysticism, astronomy, alchemy and magic, the practice of occult sciences dates back to the sixteenth century.

Due to the clandestine-esque form of practitioners, and the association with the paranormal, horror films have utilised the occult since the birth of the genre in cinema. Hand in hand with depictions of the occult are portrayals of Satanic cults and practices. Satanism is a belief system based on the biblical character of Satan. Whereas the contemporary versions of the religion is less red horned man with a pitchfork and more a set of moral ideologies to live by, accusations of being in league with the devil have been thrown toward society’s outliers since the Inquisition era of the Middle Ages.

The darkness and the unknown sensibilities of a religion that is decidedly anti-Christian has always made ideal horror fodder as a representation of an unknown force looking to pervert the innocent and desecrate a seemingly “good” Christian society. 

Häxan (1922)

Part informative documentary and part dramatic recreation, Häxan also known as Witchcraft Through The Ages is an essay style film that documents the history of witchcraft beginning in the Middle Ages. Depicting the roots of superstitions surrounding the occult and magic, it is based on the writer and director’s own research into the Malleus Malificarum, a 15th century script written by a German Catholic clergyman that is thought to be the definitive handbook on demonology and the treatment of practitioners of witchcraft. The text had a massive influence on the witchhunt culture that spanned centuries and saw thousands of people tried and executed as witches. The most expensive Scandinavian silent film ever made, Häxan moves from displays of woodcut prints explaining the society of the Middle Ages, to depictions of witches plucking the fingers from a dead hand and the Devil leading women astray, as well as explaining the treatment of the suspected witches, and how retrospectively the behaviour of the potentially possessed and followers of Satan, could be explained by mental illness. 

Night of the Demon (1957)

Directed by the infamous Jacques Tourneur, the British horror Night of the Demon is an adaptation of the M.R. James story Casting the Runes. An American psychologist, Dr John Holden played by Dana Andrews, travels to Britain to investigate the death of a fellow professor at the hands of a suspected Satanic cult. During his investigation, he meets the enigmatic Dr Julian Karswell who he soon begins to realise is at the helm of this murderous cult. Featuring runes, Stonehenge and séances, Night of The Demon is almost a cartoon version of British mysticism through the eyes of an American. The controversy of the film lay in its depiction of the actual demon in the final sequences, whilst producer Hal E. Chester wanted the physical form of the demon to assure audiences the evil was real, Tourneur and lead actor Dana Andrews were completely against the full reveal, instead feeling the horror lies in the unseen. 

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Black Sunday (1960)

Directed by one of the maestros of Italian horror, Black Sunday is a gothic portrayal of generational curses and witchcraft. Initially set in Moldavia in the 16th Century, a vampiric witch Asa is sentenced to death with her lover by her own brother Griabi, but not before she swears revenge on his descendants by cursing them. Two hundred years later, Asa’s corpse is found and through the accidental dripping of blood into her mouth, she is reincarnated into the body of Katia. Not only does Black Sunday depict the witch as monstrous, but also calls into question the morality of those who condemned women to death for allegedly practising witchcraft. Featuring perhaps one of the most horrific death scenes in horror through the use of a spiked iron mask being beaten onto Asa’s visage, the images of Barbara Steele’s wide eyed and hole inflicted face is pure nightmare fuel. 

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Prince of Darkness (1987)

Perhaps not your typical Satanic film but it's hard to deny the alchemic occult science themes of John Carpenter’s second instalment of his Apocalypse Trilogy. A group of quantum physics students, by request of a Catholic priest, investigate a seemingly sentient liquid found within a monastery belonging to the covert The Brotherhood of Sleep. Thought to have been an allegory for the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, the liquid ooze, which is the embodiment of Satan or the Anti-God, possesses the homeless population that surround the monastery as well as the students inhabiting within. Despite Prince of Darkness’ bonkers depictions of Jesus being an extra-terrestrial, it is an interesting in-depth look at the clandestine nature of religions. 

Suspiria (1977)

Somewhat based on Thomas De Quincey’s essay Suspiria de Profundis, Dario Argento’s Suspiria is a psychedelic, mind bending portrayal of a coven of witches secretly based in a dance school in Germany. Part giallo, part supernatural thriller, Suspiria follows American dance student Suzy Bannion as she relocates to the prestigious Tanz Akademie. Whilst there, she is witness to several mysterious disappearances and odd occurrences that culminates in her discovery that the dance school was founded by a witch in 1895. Pairing Dario Argento’s trademark colourful visual elements with Goblin’s unmistakable soundtrack, Suspiria is a kaleidoscopic and hallucinatory embodiment of discovering true meaning of the occult (ie) that which is hidden and unseen.

Incantation (2022)

Whilst occultism is largely represented as a western ideology, many cultures from all over the world have their own versions of occultism, that while may not necessarily involve the stereotypical satanic version of occultism, still involve a level of demonic and magic based ideologies that divert away from mainstream belief systems. The 2022 Tawainese found-footage horror film Incantation is a perfect depiction of non-western occultism. The film follows Ronan, who six years prior to the present narrative had visited a remote village with intentions of shooting a documentary. Whilst there, Ronan and her group discover the villagers worship a deity known as Mother-Buddha and offer human sacrifices to appease her. Through the power of possession, the dark entity that the village worships is able to invoke a curse upon Ronan and her daughter. 

A Dark Song (2016)

A Dark Song stars Catherine Walker as grieving mother Sophia who enlists the help of impersonable occultist Joseph to aid her in the summoning of her guardian angel so she can speak with her deceased son. Despite Joseph warning her that her intentions must be completely honest, Sophia is conjuring the angel to exact revenge on those who kidnapped and murdered her child. Through a months-long distressing and gruelling rite, Joseph puts Sophia through harrowing practices in the hope of communicating with angels and demons. A co-production of Ireland and Britain, A Dark Song is an agonising and gut-wrenching exploration of a mother’s grief and the emotional and psychological toll of revenge on a person.

Starry Eyes (2014)

Depicting the seedy underbelly of Hollywood, Starry Eyes focuses on aspiring actress Sarah Walker (played by Alexandra Essoe) as she struggles to book acting roles while working as a waitress. Surrounded by unsupportive friends, Sarah attends an audition held by the influential production company Astraeus Pictures, where she is persuaded to self-harm in the form of trichotillomania to elicit a powerful performance. During her callback, she is exploited further by casting directors and producers who are wearing pentagram necklaces, after which Sarah begins to experience an inhuman transformation which will elevate her to untold levels of stardom. As well as its portrayals of shady abuses of power Starry Eyes is also a powerful commentary on the extent of a person’s obsession with fame and success, and just how far they would go to achieve these goals. 

Angel Heart (1987)

The adaptation of the 1978 novel Falling Angel written by William Hjortsberg, Angel Heart is an southern gothic horror film that centres on the character of Harry Angel, played by Mickey Rourke, who is a private investigator hired by the cryptic Louis Cyphre (Robert DeNiro) to find a missing man called Johnny Favorite. Angel’s investigation takes him down to New Orleans where he is further enveloped into a world of sadistic ritualistic murders and Satanic cults. Following a neo-noir mystery narrative, Angel Heart is a highly underrated stylised horror thriller with one of the most shocking twist endings in the genre.

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