Top 10 CREEPY CHURCH Horror Movies 

Totally agree with Prince of Darkness. I love this movie and John Carpenter. ❤️ from 🇨🇦

Though not literally a horror movie, "The Devils" with Oliver Reed was tremendously warped.

One movie that I remember is “In the Mouth of Madness “, also “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”, “The Rite” and Omen.

Was raised as a Catholic. Gotta say that despite all the bad stuff they have done we cannot deny them one thing - they are the masters of the creepy-cool aesthetics.

I LOVE religious horror because it's a mythos that we don't need exposited to us. We know the basic rules and have a clear good-vs-evil foundation. Final Prayer (aka The Borderlands) is my favorite recent discovery. Thanks for giving me a few more for my Sacrilicious Watchlist, and keep these odd category lists coming 10/10 fricheks

One of the things I like best about your channel is just watching how excited and happy you are about the movies . It just makes me smile. Thanks ! 😊

Cobwebs always comes through. Thanks.

I've watched Hellhole twice so far. For me, it has high replay value. The ending is nightmare fuel.

So glad you included Midnight Mass on this list. I love all of the Mike Flanagan limited series, but Midnight Mass is definitely my favorite. I was raised catholic, which I’m sure has a lot to do with my fascination with it, but I really love the way it addresses religion as opposed to faith. It’s a perfect series.

Another great list! Alice Sweet Alice is so good. And I'm going to have to check out Hellhole for sure.

I was waiting to see if you were going to mention Midnight Mass, I’m so glad you included it since it’s just so good.

I ADORE Midnight Mass -- I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I started watching, but wow. Very cool imagery, and very philosophical. Prince of Darkness is great, too, and I was tickled to see Alice Cooper in a cameo the first time I saw it.

Love the Thumbnail, This is going 2 be interesting!!!!

I read somewhere that John Carpenter was inspired by Argento's Inferno. That was said to have spawned Prince of Darkness.

So glad someone has finally mentioned Boarderlands! It's so underrated I was beginning to think I'd dreamt it!

Hi Daniel! Really enjoyed your list and the synopsis of the movies. I'll have to check out some of these, especially Immaculate. Some of my favs are The Omen, The Church, Midnight Mass, Prince of Darkness (HUUUGE JC fan!)

'Prince of Darkness' really freaked me out as a kid. The bit with the devil hand reaching out from the mirror gave me nightmares for a long time. Love it. Ditto 'The Church', which had Floe by Philip Glass stuck in my head for years before I even knew what piece of music it was. I'd have to have Ken Russell's 'The Devils' on any list like this, and probably something like 'Flavia the Heretic'. Gotta have those nuns.

Thank You for the List and Video 😀

I saw Prince of Darkness in the theater and loved it, and was soooo disappointed when They Live was not a sequel to it. I wanted more of Prince of Darkness' story.

Great video !! I love this religious horror ! Hell hole !!!! The last scene is one of my scenes in any movie! So dope , great reviews 🎬🩸👍

Would yo do a list of Loveraftian films, please? For my church movies...The Keep, Stigmata. I LOVE prince of Darkness.

Gotta have love for the last classic Hammer movie: To the Devil, a Daughter!

SOLID list. I was watching the "Small Town Horror" video and thought of "VIY" but then figured it belonged on a Church Movie list instead. LOVED the creepy-church atmosphere of that film.

Prince Of Darkness is a spooky nightmare and the soundtrack is chilling. Its fantastic :)

I can see why horror movies would draw from Catholicism because there seems to be something vaguely terrifying about it even on the best of days. The Catholic church is like statues weeping blood and crucifixes bursting into flames, while the Evangelical Lutheran church is like "Do you need help filling out an unemployment application?"

Absolutely love these Top 10 lists you do, always bringing out the more obscure movie choices!

Another great one, Daniel! Especially your top 2 picks are some of my very, very favorites too!! I would add "Jeepers Creepers" from 2001 where the monster hides and tortures his kills in the basement of an abandoned (Protestant!) church. It was filmed near my hometown in Central Florida and I was tickled that someone made a horror movie that didn't involve gillmen near me. As an aside (since I know you like Westerns too) I now live in Coffeyville Kansas which is where the Dalton Gang met their just reward! Lots of great movies and shows about how our little town took them out!

Ok I'll be that person, I need the list anyway so I could watch these myself 1:02 Hellhole (org. Ostatnia wieczerza) 2:53 Catacombs (1988.) 5:32 Borderlands 7:23 Alice, sweet Alice 9:07 The Convent (2000.) 10:40 The Unholy (1988.) 12:23 The Church (1989.) 14:34 Immaculate (2024) 16:32 Midnight mass 18:34 Prince of Darkness Have a nice day!

I loved Midnight Mass. glad it’s on the list.

Excellent video ! Again! Still hoping that you and Retro Analog will be doing a live stream soon or even a video together!! 🎉🎉

Prince of Darkness is really very frightening. Your channel is awesome!

I'm surprised The Nun didn't make it to this list. Great movie.

Glad to see The Borderlands on this list, not only because the end is genuinely disturbing, but also because I grew up around where it was filmed.

"Alice, Sweet Alice" has been a favorite of mine since the late 80's when I found a PD videotape. I have the most recent Blu Ray now, which is just gorgeous. It's a wonderful film, very underrated and sadly not well known and I get more out of it every time I watch it.

Absolutely LOVE the Vestron Video t-shirt! It's bloody awesome! I saw The Borderlands a few years ago and it left me feeling so depressed. Prince of Darkness is all kinds of crazy! Alice Cooper and a jar of green gloop. Another creepy religious horror film is Beware My Brethren, AKA The Fiend.

Religious horror always spooks me out. That's why I love them. I'm not religious or spiritual or anything, but I sure do enjoy a good religious horror flick. Especially with a creepy church. Immaculate is definitely one I've been wanting to watch. Definitely gonna check out these others as well

I LOVE your themed lists! I'm a big fan of the creepy aesthetic of gothic architecture, so I'll be looking into some of these!

Hi Daniel. I love Prince of Darkness. Donald P, Alice Cooper, John Carpenter ! xx

Prince of Darkness still gives me shivers. A lot of the story and scenes were a bit formulaic of the 80's..weirdly aggressive men, smoke machines, billowy curtains...very 80's imagery. But this bumped that up with the scientific/spiritual aspects. There were probably the most haunting visuals in any movie ever--the swirling mass in the chamber (notice the insane number of crucifixes around,the backwards dripping of the ooze...and the staticky dream-like time-travel/communication in POV leading to the shadowy figure in the doorway. That has the be the scariest bit ever filmed-you feel the dread of wondering what is in the doorway but you're powerless to stop the camera from moving on closer and closer--the whole time feeling this overwhelming need to run away or pull back, escape...Truly terrifying. Missed seeing it when it came out bc was too little...glad i did tho bc it gives me nightmares whenever i've watched it now. Great film!

Prince of Darkness really is an underrate film and very much a sleeper even among Carpenter's body of work. I think what makes it so fascinating is that it kind of flips the script on the "We found a spooky artifact" trope. Instead of the scientists going to the spiritualists for help to figure out what exactly the mystical McGuffin is, in this film it's the spiritualists who go to the scientists for help. While not quite up there with The Thing or In The Mouth of Madness, it's still a pretty good ride and does a lot with what is honestly very little.

The Final Prayer ending was so twisted , that was one of only movie endings that stuck with me after

Number six. The cheerleader zombie showing some "spirit" for her team...giggle

Dope!!!! Can't wait to peep at work!

You put Immaculate but not the First Omen? Bold choice my friend. Pretty good list. I'll have to check out most of these. Loved Cemetery Man so definitely gonna watch the Church.

just want to say thank you for the great channel man, been watching so many great flicks lately

I wonder if "Hellhole" features Spinal Tap's epic jam over the closing credits.... "It's better in a hell hole You know where you stand in a hell hole Folks lend a hand in a hell hole Girl, get me back to my hell hole..."

Alice Sweet Alice, I love that movie. It's Brooke Shields 1st movie even though she dies first. I still have my original paperback of it, though it was called Communion, which may be a better title. By Frank Lauria. The cover is amazing. A girl in a Communion dress and veil, wearing that creepy Jackie O mask, and clasping the bloody butcher knife between her hands whick are posed for prayer, on a black background. I don't know if it's a novelization or if the movie is based on the book. The scene that frightened me the nost was the stabbing of the Aunt's calves. And that repulsive pervy landlord, yuck.

"The Curse" was filmed in my hometown and I remember saving up and buying the vhs and it was so horrible! 😂 Nowadays though I enjoy the occasional rewatch! Nostalgia does strange things to us sometimes!

Please make a nunsplotation list!!!!! You would be so good at it

Dude! Great list! Bill Moseley told me about The Convent years ago when he was filming with me and I still haven't watched it BUT synapse is releasing a numbered limted edition of it so I am finally gonna pick that up - you once again pushed me over the edge lol when even Bill didn't get me to buy it 😂... and Prince of Darkness is great one for this - has some cronenberg flavor to it to me in some spots!

I luv how you really go into the films. Subbed

Was kind of expecting The Nun to be on the last. That movie scared the bejeebies out of me. But can't go wrong with Prince of Darkness. I saw that in the theaters when it was first released.

Great shout for The Borderlands, excellent film

Pet Semetary is the best Church movie

Great list - you've definitely put a couple on my radar! Have you perchance seen Pete Walker's The Confessional aka House of Mortal Sin? It might not make your list, but it has an interesting theme of the conflict between religion and human desire. Also, the killer uses various religious paraphernalia to off his victims, including a flaming incense burner, a poisoned wafer, and strangulation by rosary.

Midnight Mass is definitely underrated. Great mini series.🖤🦇

Just watched Hellhole last night, fantastic movie! The scene with the meat locker was pretty shocking.

Not related, but have you seen the Peter Walker movies? I think they are fantastic.

Hello! IDK if you have watched 'Alucarda'. Despite it being an explotation film from the 70s, you have a real (trained) amazing actress in the leading role, it is a church horror but it moves towards surrealism in some awesome scenes, the portrayal of the convent where it happens with the way nuns deal with guilt. Pretty interesting.

Thanks , really appreciate the work put into finding these 80's gems

Great vid, Daniel! I've only seen one of these movies and I was raised Catholic, sooooooooo I've got some work to do here

The Immaculate Conception is about Mary born without sin (i.e. mom and pop had carnal knowledge and Mary was conceived). If this film is saying the immaculate conception has to be with a virgin birth, the film makers are assuming the general public doesn't know the difference.

Have ALWAYS loved Prince of Darkness. Incredible film!

Hell Hole was such a great surprise and made me want to see what happens next...... after the ending

final pray aka borderlands is an outstanding film freaked me out when i first watched it : )

I got in from work and found this video popped up on RU-vid...what a great way to start the weekend! That's an amazing list. Two that I really want to check out are Alice, Sweet Alice (I had forgotten about that one), and The Unholy. I really like Ben Cross...he made a really good vampire in Dark Shadows. He was in a movie called Live Wire with Peirce Brosnan, and played a total jerk of a villian. Oh, and I looove the hat (watched Jaws again a few weekends ago).

oh ya! Alice Sweet Alice...classic horror movie in my home on VSH back in the day. :)

The church in the remake of House of Wax was a good one.

I really liked The Convent. Really hit when I thought it would miss. Nice pickup.

Oh dear gods I just watched Alice Sweet Alice. There was just no prepping for how disturbing this movie got. I feel like I should go to confession having watched it. Thank you for recommending it.....I think.

I love Final Prayer, I forget it's ither name, but given the ending.... how was the footage actually found? Oh well I guess, the same can be said of Devil's Doorway

Great subject, Daniel! I love your list and need to watch a couple I haven't seen.

Try Devil's Door. It's an Irish indie about two priests who go to an isolated girl's school. They are called to document a miracle. Very creepy.

I saw The Unholy in the theater, and the call that he gets from hell scared me for days after.

last two on the list I was hoping for! Yes!

Why does the big vat of green evil goo in Prince of Darkness make me also think of Heavy Metal? LOL

Great video bro. I have a lot of unseen movies to watch. FYI, you made the error that many folks make regarding the Immaculate Conception. It doesn't refer to Mary being impregnated w/out having intercourse, it is the belief that Mary was conceived w/out the stain of original sin. And you left out the Russian film Viy.

Nice to see The Convent get some recognition. It's a fun balls to the wall movie.

Don’t forget that Alice, Sweet Alice is Brooke Shields’s first movie.

You definitely need to see The House with Laughing Windows (1976), Arcane Sorcerer (1996) & Dark Waters (1993) for some more great church related horror.

Great list and I agree on your top pic!

A+ video! LOVE IT! Awesome list and video!

The Convent is on Tubi in America. Midnight Mass is so good love Flanagans shows.

The greatest horror novel of all time that took place in a church is 'The Monk' by Matthew Gregory Lewis. There's been some decent films adapted from this novel, unfortunately they are not good enough to make a top 10 list.

I like that Mr Pitt from Seinfeld is in Catacombs

i have the one sheet from prince of darkness, that movie was fantastic.

If you've never seen Ken Russell's "The Devils", I cannot recommend it enough. I grew up loving horror films, and I still love them, but I'm a serious art-film guy. "The Devils" makes my top-five-films next to films made by Ingmar Bergman and David Lynch. "The Devils" is not easy to see in the US, but it's been honored by the BFI, a 180 from its initial reception in its homeland.

Ok, I've just watched 4 of your videos in a row and I'm very impressed. You have a new subscriber. I truly appreciate the fact that at least in the videos I've watched so far you haven't resorted to politics of any kind, and that's very refreshing. Nowadays it seems that every movie channel, and particularly every horror movie channel, has to mention misogyny, or racism, or the environment, or whatever. I. DO. NOT. CARE. about your message. I just want to watch movies, leave your politics at the door!

Really enjoyed The Church or Demons 3? Took me a couple tries but once I got into it I really enjoyed it.

Prince of Darkness is one of those films that gives you a good hangover

Great list, man!

good list mate quite a few underrated ones : )

As good as Hamish Linklater was in Midnight Mass, you can not talk about the series without mentioning Samantha Sloyan as Bev Keane. Talk about a villainous performance!

Midnight Mass is tbe novel being written by the heroine of Mike Flanagan's Hush, fun fact.

Midnight mass was absolutely amazing. It is worth the rule breaking

the devil's rain has a nice finale in the a church

Benedetta by Paul Verhoeven is good, a historical drama with horror elements.

Alice sweet Alice is indeed creepy. Another is Dark Was The Night in which the whole town looks to a church to save them ftom doom. Quite a trippy ending.

Alright. I'm gonna take your advice and check out Alice Sweet Alice. I'll let you know how I make out.

"Muh-kelly Swah-vee" is how you say his name (The Horror Geek has covered him a fair few times), and having seen The Church, I can say it's a good film, with visuals that really do catch the eye. One religious horror film I want to mention (I own it but haven't watched it just yet) that was covered by Ghost Pirate is Consecration (2023). It's about a young woman who goes to a remote church to investigate her brother's alleged suicide but finds that the church has a pretty unnerving history and might be up to less-than-savory practices currently.