Antichrist Is The Satanic Thriller To Watch While Waiting For The Exorcist Believer

Even after 50 years, "The Exorcist" is still commonly cited among the horror genre's scariest and best entries. William Friedkin's take on the William Peter Blatty novel of the same name is filled with so many iconic moments that all of the sequels combined haven't been able to live up to the original film's legendary status.

However, David Gordon Green is hoping to change all that with his upcoming legacy sequel, "The Exorcist: Believer." While it will remain to be seen whether the writer-director-producer can pull off the same trick he did with his 2018 "Halloween" film, we've got just the thing to help tide you over until the new movie drops on October 23rd, 2023.

Lars Von Trier is no stranger to shocking audiences, and while his most recent film, "The House That Jack Built," might be his most grisly, it is "Antichrist" that stands out as arguably his most unsettling. The film follows a grieving couple who retreat to a cabin in the woods following the death of their son. What they find waiting for them in that dark forest, though, is the kind of religious terror that will leave an indelible mark on every viewer who dares to experience it.

While She (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and He (Willem Dafoe) initially set out to the peace and calm of the woods in hopes of coming to terms with their tragic loss, the duo quickly begin to turn on one another as the sinister spirits of the forest begin to play ghastly tricks on their perceptions that inevitably lead to some pretty stunning revelations about their relationship and their past.

Though He genuinely seems to want to help his wife at first, he soon goes from conducting therapy sessions that feel like they might be helpful to those that are seemingly designed to punish her. Meanwhile, She grows to resent her husband, retreating into a world of dark secrets and hidden rules that she might be able to use to make him suffer in turn.

As She and He grow increasingly unhinged, the dark forces of the forest capitalize on their feelings of rage, resentment, and unease, culminating in a shocking series of final scenes that will make "Antichrist" an intensely unsettling and unforgettable experience for even the most jaded of horror fans. While "The Exorcist" may not quite live up to its infamous name for some modern horror viewers, rest assured that "Antichrist" is still every bit as haunting as it was upon its initial release.