What Horror Films Have to Say About God
Scary movies may appear irreverent or profane—but many of them are deeply interested in theological questions.
Christian podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey cautioned her audience against watching horror films during Halloween, arguing that consuming such content is a contradiction of Jesus's command not to fear. Her post garnered over 1 million views before she ultimately deleted it, as many conservative Christians found her argument overly simplistic. However, she is not the first person to make a religious case against the horror genre.
Following the release of The Exorcist in 1973, televangelist Billy Graham stated that the devil is present in every frame of the film and likened it to "spiritual pornography" that panders to man's innate superstition. Christianity Today dismissed the film as "shrewd" and "obscene."
While the horror genre often depicts the occult or demonic in a way that may feel irreverent or profane, many horror films do delve into theological ideas and explore foundational religious concepts. The best horror movies provide some of the most religious films the author has ever seen.
Horror movies often depict good and evil as real, not relative ideals. The existence of evil is emphasized through monsters, demons, or killers, while good is acknowledged through the audience's desire for the villain to be tamed or eliminated. Some horror films also propose that reality extends beyond mere matter and that humans encounter supernatural forces that they cannot see or understand.
For example, The Exorcist might appear to be a story about a demon, but it is ultimately about trust in God. The protagonist, Father Damien Karras, has a crisis of faith and becomes aloof toward others. When confronted with the possessed young girl, Regan MacNeil, he confronts the demon rather than turning away. His act of offering his life to cast out the demon results in the girl's recovery, suggesting that redemption is possible even in the darkest of places.
Other examples of horror films that explore religious themes include Dracula, about a cunning vampire who preys on naive mortals, and Godzilla, about a building-crushing monster. These films demonstrate that the world is more than what can be measured and managed, and that supernatural forces exist that must be faced and tamed.
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