© 2026 NPR Illinois
For your right to be curious.
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Click here to register to attend the This I Believe - Meet the Authors event Nov. 4, 6 PM at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. Free and open to the public.

Why scary movies keep borrowing ideas from religion

NPR | By Deena Prichep
Published October 30, 2026 at 4:34 PM CDT

From exorcisms to demons, when it comes to creeping out audiences, directors often turn to religion. For some filmmakers, spirituality provides bewitching mix of the mundane and the supernatural.

Copyright 2026 NPR
Deena Prichep