Possessed by Fear: Religion and the Supernatural in American and Asian Horror

Linda Blair in The Exorcist (1973)

The Exorcist + The Witch (USA) vs. Shutter (Thailand) + Incantation (Taiwan)

Religion has always had a haunting presence in horror films. Whether it’s a demonic possession or a cursed ritual, horror loves to explore what happens when faith turns terrifying. But how different cultures portray religious horror can reveal a lot about their beliefs, fears, and relationship with the supernatural.

👁️ Western Horror: Demons, Cults & Family Breakdown

From The Exorcist (1973) to The Witch (2015), American horror has a long tradition of battling evil through religion. But something’s changed over the years.

Anya Taylor-Joy in The Witch (2015)

In our interview, Professor John Hall noted that “classic religious horror like The Exorcist often ends with salvation through faith, but newer films like Hereditary or The Witch are more about how belief systems actually tear families apart.” These modern stories explore cults, inherited trauma, and isolation—not just the devil itself.

🕯️ In The Witch, religious paranoia leads to exile and ultimately spiritual collapse.
🧿 In Hereditary, the family is manipulated by cultic forces they don’t even understand.

“There’s a shift,” Hall explained, “from evil being an outside force to belief itself being the thing that destroys people.”

👻 Asian Horror: Karma, Curses & The Afterlife

Incantation (2022)

In contrast, Asian horror—like Shutter (Thailand) and Incantation (Taiwan)—leans into spiritual rituals, ghosts, and the inescapable power of karma.

In Shutter, guilt haunts the protagonist quite literally—through the ghost of a wronged woman. And in Incantation, a viral curse rooted in folk religion punishes those who break sacred rules.

Shutter (2004)

While Professor Hall admitted he’s “less familiar with the religious specifics of Asian horror,” he acknowledged that Eastern horror “often builds around fate, ancestral ties, or the idea that certain spiritual boundaries should never be crossed.”

These stories aren’t about fighting evil—they’re about coexisting with it or facing the consequences of disrespecting the spiritual world.

🕯️ Final Thoughts

Religious horror forces us to ask: what happens when we break faith—or put faith in the wrong thing? Whether it’s a demonic spirit or a cursed chant, these films remind us that belief has power, and that power can bless or destroy.

“Horror is where we process our subconscious fears,” said Hall. “And religion—organized or folk—gives us a perfect stage to explore that.”

Next week, we’ll dive into the Evolution of Vampires in western and easterb world, where fear itself becomes viral. Stay tuned!