In a world plagued by the presence of demonic forces and entities, only one person is capable of restoring peace:the demon hunter. Often too strong for humanity to face, the demon hunter will act on his own initiative in the hope of sparing the world from the onslaught of these hellish foes.
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Many capable demon hunters in movies achieve their goals by the end of their story, but there are instances where they willeither fail at this task or approach it unprepared. They will typically harbor inhuman strength or the blood of angels, but sometimes their incompetence will diminish their powers entirely.
10Angela And Jackson - Malevolent
Starring Florence Pughand Ben Lloyd-Hughes,Malevolentfollows the journey of Angela and Jackson, two scam artists who claim to be paranormal experts. The opening of this unique flick sees the pair donning the guise of paranormal investigators who make a living off performing fake exorcisms for their clients.
Karma comes back to bite the pair when they stumble upon a job pertaining to a genuine haunting. Angela encounters the ghosts she was entrusted to exorcise, but her lack of qualifications prevents her from doing so. Though she is a more than capable demon hunter, she has no idea how to react upon encountering one.
9Heather, Joshua, And Michael - The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project, directed by Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick, is a found footage movie set in the quiet town of Burkittsville, Maryland. It follows Heather and her two college friends as they interview members of the town’s community regardingthe infamous Blair Witch serial killer.
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Unsatisfied with their footage, the group ventures into the nearby woods in the hope of uncovering more information regarding the harrowing events of this town’s past. Armed with nothing more than a camera, these young college students pose zero threat to the demons lurking in the woodland, but they choose to pursue it anyway.
8Elise Rainier - Insidious
DirectorJames Wan usesInsidiousto convey the nail-biting story of a young family whose lives are uprooted by the influence of a demon. Josh, Renai, and their son Dalton move into what they believe to be an ordinary house, but it soon becomes clear that they are not the only people residing there.
Elise’s knowledge of all things supernatural has permitted her access to the Further, an ethereal world wherein numerous monsters and demons reside. Though this powerful ability would imply she is a knowledgeable demon hunter who knows exactly how to conquer their trials, she is unable to tell when someone she knows is possessed until it is too late.
7Edward And Lorraine - The Conjuring
The Conjuring, directed by James Wan, has become something of a cult classic since its release. Each entry in its haunting series tells the tale of a family that finds itself at the mercy ofa powerful creature who tortures them from beyond the grave.
Edward and Lorraine have dedicated their lives to solving paranormal mysteries, but their methods of hunting demons are laughable. Lorraine’s connection with the world beyond is impressive when first introduced, but she holds very little power over its dwellers when they physically confront her.
6Hellboy
Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro,Hellboyopens during the events of World War II, wherein the Third Reich attempted to call upon otherworldly powers to assist the Nazis in winning the war. After opening a portal, a young demon named Anung Un Rama appears, but he holds no interest in contributing to the Nazi regime.
Later donning the title “Hellboy,” this elusive being begins working for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, a department entrusted to prevent further demon onslaught. Though he is quite skilled in this profession, the fact that he requires a corporation to assist him in his demon-hunting endeavors suggests he is not nearly as capable as one would first think.
5The Losers Club - It
Based on Stephen King’s famed novel of the same name,Itfollowsthe haunting tale of Pennywise, a terrifying demon who takes the form of whatever it deems most frightening for those it torments. After years of peace, Pennywise rises from beneath the quaint town of Derry to fulfill its sinister desires.
The Losers Club, a small group made up of children, is surprisingly the only force capable of halting Pennywise’s schemes. Together they form a powerful bond that eventually destroys this menacing foe, but surely a more capable group could have been assembled to do so.
4Johnny Blaze - Ghost Rider
Ghost Ridersees Nicolas Cage debuting one ofhis most hilariously iconic performances in cinema. He plays the character of Johnny Blaze, a young man who makes a deal with the devil to save his father. Johnny quickly learns however that the devil doesn’t play fair.
Years pass and Johnny’s pact with the devil returns to haunt him. Mephistopheles asks him to seek out and destroy Blackheart, a villainous demon whose sole goal is to seize the reins of hell. Johnny is a hot-headed jelly bean connoisseur, so his ability to hunt and kill demons is questionable at best.
3Clary Fray - The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones
Director Harald Zwart attempted to create a modern-day classic withThe Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones, but its critic scores would suggest he may have failed in this endeavor. The movie follows the story of Clary Fray, a young woman tasked with defending the world from the forces of evil.
After her mother mysteriously vanishes, Clary is forced to embrace a side of her she didn’t know existed. She is a descendant of the Shadowhunters, a group of angel-blooded beings who hunt demons. Though she has great power at her disposal, she will usually opt to flee from the demons she encounters.
2Dr. Michael Morbius - Morbius
Since its release,Morbiushas becomesomething of a meme among fansof superhero movies. Heavily influenced by the age-old story of an ordinary individual who gains inhuman strength,Morbiusdocuments the emotional journey of a man who seeks to elongate his limited life.
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Though he appears as a ruthless entity in the comics, particularly when attempting to stop the Demon-Fire cult, Jared Leto’s performance of Morbius portrays him as incompetent. His vampiric abilities grant him unrivaled physical strength, but the movie’s climax sees him calling upon a group of unsuspecting bats to deal with his enemies instead.
Directed by Sam Raimi,The Evil Dead 2aims to revitalize the story of the original movie. Instead of focusing on elements of horror, this story’s retelling places most of its emphasis on slapstick comedy, evident inAsh’s ludicrous quips and actions.
Most people would flee in the presence of a demon, but not Ash. Having had his hand possessed by the Kandarian Demon, Ash decides to remove this limb and replace it with a chainsaw. Though this newfound weapon proves to be somewhat effective against his foes, it is hard to deny how unsuited Ash is for his role as a demon hunter.
