Religious horror

Religious horror is a subgenre of horror films that incorporates religious themes, beliefs, and imagery to explore supernatural conflict and spiritual fear. Although often considered a subset of supernatural horror, the label is generally applied only to works in which religious doctrine, clergy, or sacred rituals are integral to the plot. The genre frequently draws on Christian traditions—particularly Roman Catholicism—and commonly depicts elements such as demonic possession, divine punishment, cult activity, and other supernatural threats. Religious symbols, including crucifixes, holy water, and sacred rituals, are often portrayed as means of resisting or confronting evil.

The roots of the horror genre descend directly from ancient religious traditions focusing on death, the afterlife, evil, the demonic, and the principle of the thing embodied in the person.

Religious horror films typically follow characters experiencing supernatural disturbances, which often become tragic and compel them to turn to their faith to confront these forces. Classic examples of the genre include: Amityville II: The Possession, Stigmata, The Calling, The Omen, The Exorcist, Children of the Corn, Carrie, The Church, and Hellbound: Hellraiser II. More recent entries include: The Rite, The Crucifixion, Apostle, The Nun, Prey for the Devil, The Unholy, The Vatican Tapes, The Possession, Ouija: Origin of Evil, and The Conjuring films. Religious horror video games, such as Faith: The Unholy Trinity, The Binding of Isaac, and Outlast have also seen success in recent years.