Catholicism in Horror Movies

There is little overlap between contemporary Hollywood films and overt Catholicism. While there are plenty of themes in films across the board which resonate with many Catholics as expressions of true ideas, it is uncommon to find a film taking place in a world in which Catholic theology is true. However, the notable exception is the genre of horror movies, in which one finds many specimens of (admittedly somewhat inaccurate) Catholic theology, particularly in relation to the Devil and the demonic.

Consider, as an example, 2013’s The Conjuring (and the overblown, cash-grabbing universe of sequels, prequels, and spin-offs which have spawned from its success like the heads of a Hydra). In the film, demonic possession is a live possibility, and the audience’s perspective toward those characters who view it as implausible is seemingly meant to be frustration.

Consider the common trope in horror films of the family member who doubts the presence of the supernatural despite mysterious occurrences which grow increasingly threatening and malicious. “How,” we wonder as viewers, “could this person not realize that there is an otherworldly force at play?”

What renders this phenomenon of subjectivity so fascinating is that in ordinary society, the skeptic who questions supernatural phenomena is not seen as the fool; instead, it is the gullible, superstitious supernaturalist who is being deceived, and quite rightly, for one finds that there are often rational explanations for what seem at first to be inexplicable occurrences.

Moveover, this is an important part of Catholic theology of events like miracles which would be deemed supernatural; the Vatican tests alleged miracles using scientific evidence to seek an explanation before declaring them legitimate, and some Church-related horror movies include mention of the process of verifying a possession prior to approval of an exorcism.

So why is it that we want characters to be more willing to accept the supernatural on film, and yet shy away from such acceptance in ordinary life? Clearly, much of this has to do with the ability of filmmakers to influence audience perceptions, and with the audience’s awareness that since the film takes place within the horror genre, the supernatural events do really defy scientific explanation in the world of the film.

However, there is more to it than this, for one also finds that these horror films are frightening. Certainly, an aspect of the fear felt while viewing horror has to do with empathy; we worry about the characters because we resonate with them. However, while such empathy is the source of the anxiety or tension felt when watching a thriller (e.g. many of the excellent films of Alfred Hitchcock), and a suspenseful scene in a horror film (for instance, one of the many scenes in The Shining in which Danny attempts to evade danger), it cannot account for the fear of the beings on the screen, particularly the variety that carries over into the post-film experience of being kept awake by fear. 

To illustrate this distinction, consider the difference between the scene from The Shining (spoiler alert!) in which Danny flees from his deranged father, and the scene in which he sees the famous twins. In the first scene, we are afraid or anxious on Danny’s behalf, due to empathy, and the source of our fear is the unknown; we do not know what will befall the character about whom we have come to care. In the second scene, however, our fear is generated by what is on the screen. Certainly, there is at the same time anxiety about what these twins may do to Danny, but there is added to that the fear of the threat itself.

This kind of fear is perhaps nowhere more evident than with demons in horror films. When we are afraid, for instance, of a demon in the corner of a frame, we are not only afraid of what it may do; this fear comes back to haunt us when we imagine a shadow in the corner of our bedroom, or when we wish to avert our eyes from the screen, or keep our eyes open at night to avoid seeing the demon’s image again. 

There seems to be a fear of these entities as a live possibility, albeit one we do not take very seriously. If one were to ask viewers of a horror film involving demonic possession who had felt fear at the sight of the demon, not all of them would profess belief in demons; however, their fear would attest to their view of the supernatural as a live possibility.

In a sense, then, such fear keeps us in check: of course, we should accept scientific explanations for the supernatural, and it is quite easy to deny the supernatural altogether on observation of the world, but horror movies and similar experiences of fear of the demonic or otherworldly (particularly those based, however loosely, on a viable belief system like Catholicism) remind us that so long as there is a chance that there is a supernatural element of reality, we cannot dismiss that chance altogether, no matter how much we may want to.