Why supernatural horror is returning to stories of faith rather than jump scares

For years, supernatural horror has been dominated by haunted houses, cursed objects and increasingly elaborate visual effects. Yet some of the genre's most enduring films have drawn their power from something far older: the conflict between faith and evil. Rather than asking audiences simply to fear monsters, they explore questions of belief, morality and whether there are forces beyond human understanding that cannot be explained by science alone.

It is a formula that has experienced a quiet resurgence in recent years. As audiences increasingly look for horror films that combine psychological tension with compelling storytelling, filmmakers are revisiting themes of possession, religion and the supernatural, often blending them with detective fiction to create mysteries that unfold as much through investigation as they do through terror.

That is the approach taken by Holy Father, the latest supernatural crime thriller from writer and director Shravan Tiwari, which places an exorcist at the centre of a criminal investigation where conventional policing may not be enough to uncover the truth.

Rather than presenting possession as an isolated event, the film follows Father Isaac Wales, a veteran Catholic priest and exorcist who is called to investigate a disturbing case as a series of violent crimes begins to spread through the local community. Working alongside law enforcement, he is forced to confront a mystery that blurs the boundaries between criminal investigation and the paranormal, leaving detectives and clergy searching for answers in places neither expected to look.

Leading the cast is Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts, whose portrayal of Father Wales marks one of the veteran actor's most significant leading roles in recent years. Roberts has built a career spanning hundreds of film and television appearances across more than four decades, and his involvement brings considerable experience to a production seeking to combine traditional horror with the procedural elements of a crime thriller.

Joining Roberts are Mary Lirette as psychic medium Luna Green and Bryan Easley as Chief Detective Sam Harper, whose investigation gradually uncovers a series of events that challenge both rational explanation and deeply held beliefs.

The film represents the latest project from SRHP Films and forms the second instalment of Tiwari's planned Holy Trilogy, following Holy Ghost and preceding the forthcoming Holy Son. Rather than treating each film as a standalone horror story, the trilogy seeks to build an interconnected universe exploring the relationship between faith, crime and supernatural forces through different characters and investigations.

The blending of horror with detective fiction has become an increasingly popular direction for the genre. By introducing investigators, forensic evidence and criminal enquiries into stories traditionally centred on the paranormal, filmmakers create a different kind of suspense, one driven as much by uncovering hidden truths as surviving supernatural encounters. It allows horror to operate on two levels simultaneously, inviting audiences to solve a mystery while questioning whether every answer can ultimately be explained.

That combination appears to be resonating with festival audiences. Holy Father has already been submitted to around 50 film festivals, where it has received awards and nominations as the filmmakers continue to seek international distribution.

Whether audiences approach the film as a supernatural thriller, a crime mystery or a story about the enduring struggle between belief and darkness, Holy Father reflects a wider movement within modern horror. Rather than relying solely on spectacle, filmmakers are once again recognising that some of the genre's most unsettling stories emerge when fear is rooted not simply in what can be seen, but in what may exist beyond human understanding.