ritualistic backdrop

Movies with ritualistic vibe

The Nun II

1. The Nun II

Horror Supernatural Horror
5.6
20231h 50min

Overview

In 1956 France, a priest is violently murdered, and Sister Irene begins to investigate. She once again comes face-to-face with a powerful evil.

Themes

Possession and autonomy, Religion under pressure, Relic as leverage, Bullying and authority, Heritage and lineage, Institutional fear

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Pope's Exorcist

2. The Pope's Exorcist

Horror Thriller Supernatural Horror Investigation Suspense
6.1
20231h 43min

Overview

Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican, investigates a young boy's terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Religious authority vs doubt, Secrecy within institutions, Ritual as coping mechanism, Conspiracy and hidden histories, Skepticism and faith

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Hulu
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Benedetta

3. Benedetta

History Drama Romance Passionate Romance
6.7
20212h 11min

Overview

A 17th-century nun becomes entangled in a forbidden lesbian affair with a novice. But it is Benedetta's shocking religious visions that threaten to shake the Church to its core.

Themes

Religious authority vs personal desire, Surveillance and accusation, Female solidarity and betrayal, Power dynamics in convent, Visions as social pressure, Moral policing of sexuality

Available on

Apple TV
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Lighthouse

4. The Lighthouse

Drama Fantasy Thriller Psychological Drama Dark Fantasy
7.4
20191h 49min

Overview

Two lighthouse keepers try to maintain their sanity while living on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.

Themes

Obsession and violence, Isolation and fixation, Superstition vs perception, Power dynamics under confinement, Madness and intoxication, Dual identities conflict

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Apostle

5. Apostle

Horror Mystery Folk Horror Investigation Mystery
6.3
20182h 9min

Overview

In 1905, a man travels to a remote island in search of his missing sister who has been kidnapped by a mysterious religious cult.

Themes

Deception within leadership, Folk religion manipulation, Blood sacrifice economy, False prophet dynamics, Pregnancy coercion, Island isolation pressure

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Disobedience

6. Disobedience

Drama Romance Passionate Romance Relationship Drama
6.6
20181h 54min

Overview

New York photographer Ronit flies to London after learning about the death of her estranged father. Ronit is returning to the same Orthodox Jewish community that shunned her decades earlier for her childhood attraction to Esti, a female friend. Their fortuitous and happy reunion soon reignites their burning passion as the two women explore the boundaries of faith and sexuality.

Themes

Religious obligation vs desire, Community judgment and control, Lgbt identity conflict, Intergenerational pressure, Hidden sexuality, Tradition vs autonomy

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil

7. Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil

Drama Fantasy Horror Dark Fantasy Folk Horror
6.4
20181h 38min

Overview

Basque Country, Spain, 1843. A police constable arrives at a small village in Álava to investigate a mysterious blacksmith who lives alone deep in the woods.

Themes

Secrecy and revelation, Guilt and damnation, Isolation and community, Coercion and bargaining, Authority and distrust, Violence and ritual power

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Other Side of the Door

8. The Other Side of the Door

Horror Thriller Supernatural Horror Domestic Thriller
5.3
20161h 36min

Overview

Grieving over the loss of her son, a mother struggles with her feelings for her daughter and her husband. She seeks out a ritual that allows her say goodbye to her dead child, opening the veil between the world of the dead and the living. Her daughter becomes the focus of terror. She must now protect against the evil that was once her beloved son.

Themes

Misdirection and manipulation, Ritual boundary pressure, Protecting the family under threat, Secrecy under ritual influence, Life and afterlife crossing, Grieving parents tensions

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Witch

9. The Witch

Horror Fantasy Drama Supernatural Horror Psychological Drama
7.0
20161h 32min

Overview

In 1630, a farmer relocates his family to a remote plot of land on the edge of a forest where strange, unsettling things happen. With suspicion and paranoia mounting, each family member's faith, loyalty and love are tested in shocking ways.

Themes

Isolation and paranoia, Survival and sacrifice, Religious fear and doubt, Deception and accusations, Superstition vs rationality, Familial fracture under stress

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Embrace of the Serpent

10. Embrace of the Serpent

Drama Adventure Adventure Epic Historical Drama
7.8
20152h 5min

Overview

The epic story of the first contact, encounter, approach, betrayal and, eventually, life-transcending friendship, between Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman, last survivor of his people, and two scientists that, over the course of 40 years, travel through the Amazon in search of a sacred plant that can heal them. Inspired by the journals of the first explorers of the Colombian Amazon, Theodor Koch-Grunberg and Richard Evans Schultes.

Themes

Religious conversion pressures, Colonial encounter and control, Nature as resource and stage, Indigenous knowledge vs extraction, Memory vs oblivion in contact, Power asymmetry and exploitation

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.