All through October, I’ll be posting reviews of the best of the best films in the horror genre released since October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025. As an added bonus, I’ll be adding a secondary review that may be somewhat related to the main review or slightly missed the countdown by inches. Follow along the countdown every day in October. Feel free to agree, disagree, or better yet, give me your own picks for your favorite horror movies of the year. Happy Halloween!

15. DEUS IRAE (2023)

Released on December 10, 2024, and streaming on Amazon Prime and Screambox from Bloody Disgusting and XYZ Films!
Directed/Written by Pedro Cristiani.
Check out the trailer here!!

A disillusioned priest teams up a trio of battle-weary exorcists to take on an amalgamation of the Catholic church’s Satan and Lovecraftian horror.

I’ve seen too many exorcism movies to count. Most of them are bad imitations of THE EXORCIST with slight variation. This is mainly because the rites of exorcism are specific and unfortunately well known to the public. So, while there was some gravitas when the priests screamed “The power of Christ compels you!” And all of that jazz when it was first seen in THE EXORCIST, it fails to entertain upon repeated attempts.

Argentina’s new exorcist outing, DEUS IRAE knows this and instead of simply relying on Catholic lore, they’ve added Cthulhu into the mix, and it makes things feel a whole lot fresher. While it is a little tweak, this shift in perspective makes the film much more immersive as, arguably, in certain horror circles, the Lovecraft mythos is as vast and detailed as some religions. So, popping in some Yog Sothoth and the occasional Cthulhu bomb here and there and add some tentacles and there you go, your typical exorcism film about a jaded priest looking for redemption feels energized and imaginative.

But that’s not the only thing that makes this movie so exciting. The vivid cinematography and sheer creativity behind tearing a body apart is what makes DEUS IRAE such a standout. Fingernails flip backwards on their own. Blood is strewn around like a lawn sprinkler on full blast. You will see things in DEUS IRAE that you’ve never seen before in an exorcism movie. And by utilizing slo-mo and detailed closeups, director Pedro Christiani, this has to be one of the most beautifully disgusting horror films you will witness. It’s simply and brutally carnage-a-licious!

Now, there are a few things that make this one less than perfect. There are time shifts and glimpses into characters’ minds that prove to be distracting at best and utterly confusing at the worst. Characters burst into maniacal laughter for no reason and when laughter is the furthest reaction that is appropriate. Yes, this may be indicative of the process of these exorcisms takes its toll on these priests and these are glimpses of their sanity slipping. I get that. But the fact that every character has a moment where they maniacally laugh in slo-mo feels repetitive and lacking in originality. It makes it much more difficult to understand what’s going on in these gruesome scenes.

DEUS IRAE is unlike any possession horror you’re bound to see. It is highly stylized, like the Zach Snyder’s 300 of exorcism movies. Some might mistake this for lack of substance, but I feel there’s a whole lot to appreciate from the ornate costuming of the battle priests to the blasphemous desecration of religious iconography and the human body. There’s a whole lot of the grungy, the gory, and the grotesque with this one. Religious folk, beware. This one’s not for you. For the rest of you heathens, check out DEUS IRAE!

Worth Noting: SHADOW OF GOD (2025)

Released on March 26, 2025, and streaming on Shudder!
Directed by Michael Peterson.
Written by Tim Cairo.
Check out the trailer here!!

Mason (played by Mark O’Brien) left the home of his abusive, religious zealot father Angus (played by Shaun Johnston) as a teenager and became a Catholic priest. Now he works for the Vatican, performing exorcisms, but after a botched exorcism that leaves one priest dead, Mason finds out that a number of exorcists have been killed in recent weeks. Told to lay low, Mason returns to his childhood home where his half-sister Tanis (played by Jacqueline Byers) still lives and works as a psychiatrist. Upon his return, Mason is stunned to find out that his long-dead father Angus has inexplicably returned from the dead. But appearances can be deceiving, as Angus begins to show signs he is possessed. Though he isn’t cleared by the Vatican, Mason tries to perform an exorcism on Angus, only to find out his father isn’t possessed by a demon, but God himself.

Well, there’s an unexpected twist and while SHADOW OF GOD begins with all the bells and whistles you usually see and hear from in most exorcism films, all it takes is one twist like this to make things a whole lot more interesting. Trivial things, like Mason using an upside down cross during his exorcism, while simple, still, resonates as a cool and unique idea. The same goes for casting God as the villain, which is often hinted at in philosophical discussions in movies, but never in such a definitive way as outright taking over someone’s soul. I got vibes of THE PROPHECY 1995 from SHADOW OF GOD, as there is even a brief appearance by Lucifer (played by Josh Cruddas) that isn’t as formidable as Viggo Mortensen’s turn with the character but is still pretty sweet. Overall, SHADOW OF GOD thrilled me because it skews the perspective of the typical exorcism film ever so slightly and it all works so well.

It helps to have a strong cast. Mark O’Brien who plays Mason reminds me of Alessandro Nivola, which isn’t a terrible thing. He’s got that burned out, slicked back, young Mickey Rourke hair going for him, which makes his sulking around all the more dramatic. O’Brien delivers an intense performance, and while he is delivering some lines that could come off as laughable, like reciting a new form of exorcism rites consisting of the exact opposite words, kinda like Jon Bovi*. O’Brien still is able to pull these lines off. Helping O’Brien out is the equally talented Jacqueline Byers as Mason’s half-sister and love interest, Tanis. Byers also appeared in another exorcism flick recently, PREY FOR THE DEVIL, but is given much more to work with here. Another reliable performance is from Shaun Johnston who is convincing as both a religious zealot and as a man possessed by God himself. Finally, Adrian Hough offers up a memorable take as another zealot, this one seeking to be the one to usher God in to the real world.

The talent behind the camera is from some up-and-comers worth mentioning. Director Michael Peterson was behind the emotionally potent KNUCKLEBALL starring Michael Ironside. And Tim Cairo wrote the amazing LOWLIFE which needs to be seen by more people. It’s no wonder SHADOW OF GOD feels so different coming from these two creatives. The film climaxes with another reverse exorcism and a scene ripped right from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARC. While some trippy visuals are used occasionally, this is a down-to-earth little horror film with ideas that never exceed the limited budget. Still, there is a lot of creativity in this script that shows that there’s still life left in the exorcism genre. All you do is give the exorcism concept a creative tweak — a fresh perspective, and you get a take on the genre that feels lively and hugely entertaining. Check out SHADOW OF GOD. I think you’ll be surprised how fresh it really is.

The Best in Horror Countdown 2024-2025
#31 – GET AWAY (DARK MATCH)
#30 – PABRIK GULA (#MISSINGCOUPLE)
#29 – YULE LOG 2: BRANCHIN’ OUT (THE LAST VIDEO STORE)
#28 – FREWAKA (THE SURRENDER)
#27 – FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES (V/H/S/BEYOND)
#26 – ALMA AND THE WOLF (CUSTOM)
#25 – LOOKY-LOO (THE CREEP TAPES)
#24 – DANGEROUS ANIMALS (THE MAN IN THE WHITE VAN)
#23 – THE MONKEY (THE DAMNED)
#22 – THE DEVIL AND THE DAYLONG BROTHERS (THE SEVERED SUN)
#21 – TERRIFIER 3 (CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD)
#20 – PRESENCE (HOUSE ON EDEN)
#19 – THE RULE OF JENNY PEN (GRAFTED)
#18 – PARVULOS: CHILDREN OF THE APOCALYPSE (AZRAEL)
#17 – MADS (A MOTHER’S EMBRACE)
#16 – STRANGE HARVEST (THE ASMA JOURNALS)
#15 – DEUS IRAE (SHADOW OF GOD)