Movies like The First Exorcist
The best movies like The First Exorcist are The Deliverance (2024), Prey for the Devil (2022) and The Pope's Exorcist (2023). If The First Exorcist hooked you with its horror and thriller, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Exorcist (1973)7.8/10 from 9,032 votes
- NewestInsidious: Out of the Further (2026)Released 2026
The Deliverance (2024)
Ebony Jackson, a struggling single mother fighting her personal demons, moves her family into a new home for a fresh start. But when strange occurrences inside the home raise the suspicions of Child Protective Services and threaten to tear the family apart, Ebony soon finds herself locked in a battle for her life and the souls of her children.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPrey for the Devil (2022)
In response to a global rise in demonic possessions, the Catholic Church reopens exorcism schools to train priests in the Rite of Exorcism. On this spiritual battlefield, an unlikely warrior rises: a young nun, Sister Ann. Thrust onto the spiritual frontline with fellow student Father Dante, Sister Ann finds herself in a battle for the soul of a young girl and soon realizes the Devil has her right where he wants her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Pope's Exorcist (2023)
Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican, investigates a young boy's terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren encounter what would become one of the most sensational cases from their files. The fight for the soul of a young boy takes them beyond anything they'd ever seen before, to mark the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Possession (2012)
A young girl buys an antique box at a yard sale, unaware that inside the collectible lives a malicious ancient spirit. The girl's father teams with his ex-wife to find a way to end the curse upon their child.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStigmata (1999)
A young woman with no strong religious beliefs, Frankie Paige begins having strange and violent experiences, showing signs of the wounds that Jesus received when crucified. When the Vatican gets word of Frankie's situation, a high-ranking cardinal requests that the Rev. Andrew Kiernan investigate her case. Soon Kiernan realizes that very sinister forces are at work, and tries to rescue Frankie from the entity that is plaguing her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Conjuring (2013)
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisInsidious: Out of the Further (2026)
Gemma, a young mother raising her daughter in the house she grew up in, discovers she can travel into The Further, where she possesses an ability to bring what lives there back to the real world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHereditary (2018)
When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about her ancestry.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisYou're Not Alone (2020)
After the premature death of her estranged husband, Emma (Winter) regains custody of their young daughter Isla (Jones) and hopes to rebuild their relationship after many years apart. But when an evil entity begins to torment them, mother and daughter are forced to face the inexplicable presence that inhabits the walls of their new home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisInsidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
The haunted Lambert family seeks to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Watcher in the Woods (1980)
After an American family moves to an old country manor in rural England, one of the daughters is tormented by the spirit of the owner's long lost daughter, who mysteriously disappeared 30 years ago during a solar eclipse.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisDark Harvest (2023)
In a small Midwestern town, a deadly annual ritual unfolds when the mythical nightmare, Sawtooth Jack, rises from the cornfields and challenges the town’s teenage boys in a bloody battle of survival.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Entity (1982)
A single mom is raped by an invisible force. Her psychiatrist believes the experience stems from childhood trauma, while she knows something supernatural is at play.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Exorcist (1973)
When a mysterious entity possesses a young girl, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Exorcist III (1990)
On the fifteenth anniversary of the exorcism that claimed Father Damien Karras' life, Police Lieutenant Kinderman's world is once again shattered when a boy is found decapitated and savagely crucified.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Carpenter's Son (2025)
A remote village in Roman-era Egypt explodes into spiritual warfare when a carpenter, his wife and their child are targeted by supernatural forces.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren take on one last terrifying case involving mysterious entities they must confront.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Cellar (2022)
When Keira Woods' daughter mysteriously vanishes in the cellar of their new house in the country, she soon discovers there is an ancient and powerful entity controlling their home that she will have to face or risk losing her family's souls forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNever Let Go (2024)
As an evil takes over the world beyond their front doorstep, the only protection for a mother and her twin sons is their house and their family’s protective bond.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSinners (2025)
Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
A psychiatrist, familiar with the knife-wielding dream demon Freddy Krueger, helps teens at a mental hospital battle the killer who is invading their dreams.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHelping Hand (TBA)
Six months after losing his mother, Jared's life collapses into depression, addiction, and emotional numbness, pushing away the last person who cares for him. Alone in his apartment, he is visited by Depression - a seductive female entity who comforts him only to guide him toward his suicide. At his breaking point, a glowing divine hand interrupts his descent, pulling him into The Abyss where his despair takes physical form. On the edge of hopelessness, Jared encounters a breathtaking vision of God's glory, revealing the truth about healing and the presence he ignored. Returned to life with renewed peace, Jared begins his journey toward restoration.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller
A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989)
The pregnant Alice finds Freddy Krueger striking through the sleeping mind of her unborn child, hoping to be reborn into the real world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisA Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
Freddy Krueger returns once again to terrorize the dreams of the remaining Dream Warriors, as well as those of a young woman who may be able to defeat him for good.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Monster Project (2017)
A group of aspiring filmmakers interview three individuals who claim to be monsters. However, unique incidents start to occur when they start filming.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisVillage of the Damned (1995)
An American village is visited by some unknown life form which leaves the women of the village pregnant. Nine months later, the babies are born, and they all look normal, but it doesn't take the "parents" long to realize that the kids are not human or humane.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like this1408 (2007)
A man specializing in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisExorcism Chronicles: The Beginning (2025)
When a demonic uprising threatens to end the world as they know it, a monk and an excommunicated priest join forces to protect a powerful young boy and the next generation of magic. As dark forces close in, the unlikely trio must confront their inner demons.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRing of Darkness (1979)
Once a Satanist who surrendered her soul and body to the devil himself, Carlotta Rhodes begins to regret her tryst with Lucifer when her teenage daughter, Daria, starts showing the evil influence of dear old Dad. Convinced that she can stop the devil's power on earth, Carlotta calls upon an exorcist for help.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The First Exorcist?
The closest matches to The First Exorcist are The Deliverance (2024), Prey for the Devil (2022) and The Pope's Exorcist (2023). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The First Exorcist?
Start with The Deliverance (2024), the closest match to The First Exorcist.
What is the highest-rated movie like The First Exorcist?
The Exorcist (1973), rated 7.8/10 by 9,032 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The First Exorcist?
Insidious: Out of the Further (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The First Exorcist?
Yes: The Deliverance (2024), Prey for the Devil (2022) and The Pope's Exorcist (2023).
How are movies similar to The First Exorcist chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The First Exorcist, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.