#Horror Movies Like The Exorcist That Will Truly Scare You

Modern horror films tend to feature melodrama and jump scares that bear a striking dissonance to Friedkin’s methodical approach. Friedkin understood that true horror occurs on a personal level, and the film has its emotional impact from the realism with which the familial dynamics are depicted. Chris’s sense of powerlessness watching her child slip away is devastating thanks to Burstyn’s performance, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Ari Aster’s terrifying directorial debut “Hereditary” immediately announced him as one of the foremost modern horror filmmakers, and a natural successor to Friedkin. “Hereditary” captures family tragedy with unflinching detail, and features similar themes of possession (although it doesn’t feature Satan, rather focusing on the demon Paimon). The film introduces its characters through the Graham family’s gathering for the funeral of their matriarch.

Annie (Toni Collette), her husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne), teenage son Peter (Alex Wolff), and disfigured daughter Charlie (Milly Shapiro) don’t cope together, growing more isolated. Annie becomes fixated on recreating miniature buildings, and Peter grows distant and shuts out his sister. When Annie focuses the two to spend more time together, it results in an anxiety-inducing sequence in which an irresponsible Peter frantically drives Charlie home after she has an allergic reaction. Charlie’s grisly death, Peter’s silent disbelief, and Annie’s faceless screams is one of the most perfectly executed scares of the 21st Century. Colette’s stagnated healing is absolutely grueling on an emotional level, and she was truly snubbed of an Academy Award nomination.