The Agony and the Ecstasy of Religious Horror
Greetings from The Abyss, my little devils!
It’s your favorite satanic mechanic here with your monthly dose of scary cinema. In honor of Ostara, Passover and Easter, this month’s theme is religious horror — because what’s scarier than organized religion?! Am I right?!
Seriously though, some of the best horror out there tackles the delicate subject of religious belief and the supernatural beings associated with it. The following is a small sample of what is out there.
The Vigil (2019)
Directed by Keith Thomas; Amazon Prime (for rent)
I had read about this movie some time ago and I was very excited to see it. While Christian and Pagan themed horror movies are extremely prevalent, it’s rare to find one that deals with Judaism.
Yakov is a lapsed Hasidic Jew who left the religion after a terrible tragedy which resulted in him losing his faith and developing some psychological problems. Short on cash, he accepts a job from his former rabbi as shomer. A shomer is a guardian of the dead, traditionally utilized in order to prevent desecration to a body before burial. We accompany Yakov on his overnight ‘vigil’ and, spoiler alert, spooky stuff happens!
I really enjoyed this look into Hasidic custom, tradition and folklore. The director did a great job with atmosphere and tension. I will be adding this one to my personal collection. 3 stars
St Maud (2019)
Directed by Rose Glass; Amazon Prime (Premium Subscription)
This is a psychological horror film that follows the journey of a nurse as she seeks retribution for her professional failures and hedonistic lifestyle by way of conversion to devout Catholicism. Originally named Katie, the now transformed ‘Maud’ enjoys religious ecstasy in her communion with God and seeks to save the soul of her new homebound patient Amanda.
I have to admit, at first viewing I was not crazy about this film. I found it to be a beautiful film, but a bit slow paced. However, the more I’ve sat with the movie, the more I appreciate it.
If you love a gradual building story with deep character study, this is one for you. The final scene is one for the age — I would never take that away from this film. That imagery will definitely stay with you. Absolutely worth a watch! 3 stars
The Exorcist (1973)
Directed by William Friedkin; Tubi
“Your mother sucks c*cks in Hell!” But hey, so do I!
This is an all-time classic. I’m sure you’ve seen or at least heard of this legendary tale of demonic possession. It would be a disservice not to include this one on the list. 5 stars!
The Wicker Man (1973)
Directed by Robin Hardy; Amazon Prime
Another classic for sure, though somewhat less acclaimed than The Exorcist.
Police Sergeant Neil Howie, a devout Christian, is investigating the disappearance of a missing girl on Summerisle. The residents of this remote island have taken to practicing Celtic Paganism, much to the distaste of the sergeant.
Howie soon reaches the point of no return as he is exposed to the rituals and customs of the island inhabitants which leads to one of the best shock endings in horror history. The visuals are beautiful and it stars the great Christopher Lee. You can’t go wrong with this one. 5 stars!
Fist of Jesus (2012)
Directed by David Munoz/ Adrian Cardona; Free at: https://www.fistofjesus.com/the-short-film/
Alright, so this 15 minute short movie came to my attention this Easter by way of the Twitterverse and I couldn’t be happier!
This one is not for the faint of heart or any practicing Christians. It is gory. It is offensive. It is amazing!
The story starts with the resurrection of Lazarus, a famous tale from the gospel you might be familiar with. The problem is, it’s the first time Jesus has brought someone back from the dead and it doesn’t go as planned. It soon devolves into Jesus vs an Army of Zombies.
It’s an over-the-top blood bath feast for the eyes that you don’t want to miss! 4 stars!
When you’re done with these I hope you will check out the new episode of Stan the Mechanic, out April 23rd on HereTV! We will be watching Voodoo Academy, another religious adjacent horror film featuring lots of male flesh! We have a lot of fun with this David DeCoteau cult classic. Don’t miss out!
Watch for free using code Stan666 at sign up for one month on me!
See you guys next month where we will take a look at some Murderous Mothers!!! Stay spooky!
