Television series

The Exorcist

Name: The Exorcist
Genre: Drama, Horror, Supernatural
Released: 2016
Cast: Alfonso Herrera, Ben Daniels, Kurt Egyiawan, Hannah Kasulka, Brianne Howey

Other titles called The Exorcist: the 1973 film.

A propulsive supernatural drama that treats demonic possession as psychological horror and family trauma with equal weight. Two priests—one idealistic, one hardened—investigate a case that tests their faith and forces the Church to confront forces beyond its bureaucratic control. Gruesome and genuinely unsettling, but grounded in character and moral complexity.

TVMaze rating

4.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy Catholic horror that treats faith as a turf war, with two priests clashing over method and the church's politics, and you like your scares tied to ideas.

Skip it if you prefer quiet, slow-burn dread, since this one runs on fast cutting, loud jump-scares and a restless, lurching energy that can feel frantic.

What it asks of you: Expect roughly twenty hour-long episodes across two seasons, and steady attention to plot threads that braid two priests' stories together, with the tone shifting between brisk and sombre.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Midnight Mass2021

Mike Flanagan's exploration of faith, doubt, and community under supernatural siege. A slow-burn that builds to genuine cosmic horror, with characters you'll miss long after it ends.

But Very long runtime per episode and deliberately paced. Heavy on atmosphere, light on action. Requires patience with small-town melodrama.

The Haunting of Hill House2018

Supernatural dread married to family dysfunction. Beautifully shot, narratively ambitious, and scary without relying on jump scares. Ensemble cast that actually feels like a family.

But Jumps between timelines in ways that can feel muddled. Some jump scares despite what I just said. Better on rewatch than first viewing.

MINDHUNTER2017

Two men obsessed with understanding evil, battling bureaucracy and their own demons while pursuing it. Methodical, intelligent, and anchored by two mesmerizing lead performances that define the show.

But Structurally a procedural. If you need narrative momentum, the episodic case-of-the-week format may feel slow. No big answers come easy.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Exorcist

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer2021

Both are investigative dramas where faith and doubt become as important as the supernatural phenomenon itself. Both find terror in institutional skepticism and the lonely work of bearing witness to the inexplicable.

Before The X-Files, there was this: a reporter investigating the supernatural in a world that doesn't believe. Lean, eerie, and fundamentally lonely. The DNA of everything spooky on television runs back here. Groundbreaking for its era.

But Shot on 1970s TV budgets. The production values will feel thin compared to modern horror. Pacing is measured to the point of glacial. Only two seasons, so the good will end quickly.

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer poster

Supernatural2005

Fifteen seasons of brothers fighting monsters, ghosts, and literal God. Bonkers mythology that earns its sincerity. A genuinely fun show that respects its own ridiculousness while delivering real scares and heart.

But The first three seasons are the best; quality wavers significantly after. Commitment required. Tonal whiplash between horror and comedy can feel jarring.

The Omen1976

The template for everything that follows. Methodically constructed dread, excellent performances, and a premise so perfectly simple it's been copied ever since. Fundamentally scary without relying on gore.

But Pacing is slow by modern standards. Some scares feel quaint now. The revelation isn't a surprise if you know anything about the film's reputation.

Poltergeist1982

Spielberg and Tobe Hooper's collaboration turns a suburban home into a nightmare. Genuinely inventive scares, practical effects that still hold up, and real stakes for a family under siege.

But Some dated elements in execution. The film's famous curse gives it an uneasy legacy. Not as subtle as modern horror—it comes for you directly.

Insidious2011

James Wan proves you don't need gore or excessive runtime to terrify. Brilliant use of sound design and silence. A supernatural investigation that respects its audience's intelligence and builds systematically to genuine scares.

But The sequels are dramatically worse. Jump-scare dependent, which doesn't work twice. Third act explanation can feel like it's explaining away the mystery rather than deepening it.

The Sixth Sense1999

A ghost story about grief that works as psychological thriller, supernatural mystery, and character study simultaneously. Shyamalan at his most controlled. A film that improves on rewatch because the architecture is so precise.

But The twist is famous enough to undermine it. Slower burn than you might expect. If you already know the ending, there's less reason to return.

The Leftovers2014

Damon Lindelof's masterpiece about inexplicable loss and faith. Treats the supernatural as a canvas for exploring grief and meaning. Visually stunning and emotionally devastating in ways that linger.

But Demanding and dense. The show doesn't explain itself, which some find liberating and others find frustrating. Not a comfort watch. Can feel bleak in ways that don't land for everyone.

Requiem2018

Both interrogate whether what we're seeing is supernatural or psychological, and both conclude the distinction doesn't much matter—the suffering is real either way. Both trust the audience to sit with ambiguity.

A British miniseries that uses possession as metaphor for depression, family trauma, and self-harm. Devastatingly beautiful and genuinely unnerving. Treats the supernatural as symptom rather than cause. Not a typical horror show.

But Relentlessly bleak. Mental health crisis is the real subject, not demonic possession. If you're struggling, this film can be triggering. Only four episodes, ending in heartbreak rather than resolution.

The Master2012

Both explore how faith—religious or otherwise—becomes a container for damage and desire. Both suggest that what we call possession might be better understood as a desperate search for meaning, and both are haunted by what that costs.

Paul Thomas Anderson's film about a charismatic cult leader and his most devoted follower. Terrifying for how normal the seduction of belief becomes. A character study that functions as psychological horror without a single supernatural element.

But Deliberately oblique. There's no plot, only texture and implication. It demands interpretation and rewards very little. Some find it as frustrating as fascinating. Three hours of arthouse cinema dressed as drama.