Cults are often scary in how they change a human being. They can generate blind loyalty to a single individual, prompting followers to sacrifice relationships and even other people to show their dedication.
Filmmakers have long since picked up on this, using cults as antagonists in horror and other genre movies. As a result, these creepy groups have terrified audiences for decades. Oftentimes, these cinematic cults are more frightening than the most imposing monsters, and much of that comes from how they pervert the human condition. Anything that makes loved ones turn on each other is worth fearing.
7 The Skull Islanders - King Kong
One would think the titular gorilla would be the most intimidating aspect of this movie, but his fellow Skull Island residents give him a run for his money. The local tribe worships Kong as a legendary figure, paying homage to him through human sacrifices. Granted, this is mainly to dissuade him from coming after them, but their passion is potent regardless.
These guys embody everything that people fear from tribal rituals. They spirit the heroine away in the dead of night and prepare her for the beast in a bizarre celebration. They distort her perception through mysterious drugs, making the rhythmic chanting and bone-based decorum look all the more horrific.
Peter Jackson's remake goes a step further in this respect. The tribe members' filthy appearance makes them more freakish, as does the trancelike state they adopt during the ceremony. The resulting adrenaline and anticipation are infectious, putting audiences on their toes before Kong ever shows up.
6 Evil Kids - Children Of The Corn
People typically associate kids with innocence and harmlessness, but this tale turns that on its head. To serve a satanic figure, the children of this Nebraska town murder all adults they come across. One might expect this from demented grown-ups, but not kids, and certainly not all at once.
However, shattering conventions can carry the most shock value. It's inherently scary seeing children committing terrible crimes and doing it so casually. That juxtaposition with their immature demeanor instantly puts the audience off-guard. In short, it upsets the natural order and emerges eerily unpredictable as a result.
5 Witch Worshipers - The City Of The Dead
Among the more savage rituals in human history was burning suspected witches at the stake. A raging mob gangs up on someone who is different and kills that outcast in a gruesome fashion. Bringing that ugly scenario back is a surefire way of generating horror, which is plain to see in this overlooked flick.
City of the Dead echoes classical horror. The black-and-white format combines beautifully with the oppressive fog to create an isolating atmosphere. In addition, the film's roots also show in its slow build. As the heroine explores the town, she sees that there's something off about its residents. She gradually realizes the scope of this witch-worshipping cult. By then, though, it's too late. The audiences feel caught in a web like the heroine, surrounded by sinister assailants. Few scenarios inspire more terror than that sense of helplessness.
4 Celtic Singers - The Wicker Man
Before the farcical remake with Nicolas Cage, The Wicker Man was a respected horror classic. It's easy to see why, as it boasts a tried-and-true setup of religious zealots practicing human sacrifices. In this case, they subscribe to Celtic paganism, but it's not the deity that matters. Rather, it's the execution.
The fear factor here comes from how creepily happy everyone is. They sing jovial songs all through the town, and they keep it up during their ritualistic murders. Even in non-sacrificial religions, the devotees aren't this perky. It creates a stark contrast which makes viewers feel unclean. After watching this film, they'll never look at a quaint, little village the same way again.
3 Satanic Cult - The Devil Rides Out
This film is more blatant with its Satanism, yet it's more effective. Horror legend Christopher Lee plays against type as a hero, relating a story of darkness as an elemental force and how some people come together to celebrate its return. His intense warnings instill fear of these Luciferian lovers in listeners' hearts.
Those sinister descriptions are matched only by the movie's presentation. The cult members dance and contort as if truly possessed. The filmmakers seem determined to do the same to viewers with the uncanny focus on people's eyes: mesmerizing as they are off-putting. Thanks to these off-kilter elements, audiences never doubt the otherworldly essence controlling these events. That belief itself is enough to terrify.
2 The Nazgul - The Lord Of The Rings
What makes this devotion scary is that it's not by choice. Prior to The Lord of the Rings, these kings of Men accepted nine Rings of Power from the deceptive Sauron. Afterward, they became slaves to his will, bound to him for all eternity.
As a result, they exist between life and death as wraiths. They don't need food or rest; their sole purpose is to hunt down their master's enemies. Such drive is inhuman, an impression further cemented by their raspy voices and bone-chilling shrieks. The Nazgul are essentially walking corpses, and that unnatural image is what makes them so elementally effective.
1 The Thuggee - Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
Globe-trotting archaeologist Indiana Jones routinely tackles Nazis and other militaristic adversaries, but this secretive group in India is more twisted than any of them. The Thuggee worship Kali, a goddess of war and destruction, and that manifests in their practices. They decorate statues of their deity with dismembered body parts and use children for slave labor, doing it all in underground caves amid hellish volcanic lighting. This surrounds the Thuggee with a mood of oppressive hopelessness.
That sensation comes to a head in their human sacrifices. Their leader, Mola Ram, rips victims' hearts out before lowering them into lava. As they die, their hearts catch fire. All the while, the leader laughs maniacally, and his followers chant with increasing excitement. It's the perfect picture of insanity: taking an unsettling pleasure in death. Few things run more counter to humanity than that.