I’m a casual horror person. Over the years, I’ve watched my fair share of slasher and zombie flicks, but lately I’ve been interested in stories about demonic possession. Maybe there’s something alluring in stories about the fight for your soul against an evil entity.

Too bad that a number of these movies are “meh,” especially when you compare them to a classic like The Exorcist. Granted, I’ve only watched The Exorcist once and have read the book, and both do the story of someone being possessed or controlled well by having the story grounded in reality, having relatable characters, and not having the protagonists doing anything very stupid.

The Exorcist is a slow burn that allows its scenes to breathe, something more contemporary films seem to avoid–they’re overscored, over explain, and lack subtlety.

But that’s a whole other discussion.

So knowing that the movies I’m picking at random on streaming have a high bar to clear, I went in hoping for …

• good effects and tension
• a reasonably plausible premise
• decent acting and characterization
• maybe something a little different than usual.

Here are six of them.

Bring Her Back: Probably the best of these. A woman fosters two kids, one of whom is blind and she plans on using that blind daughter as a way to resurrect her child. The woman has another kid who stays secluded and exhibits odd, destructive behavior. It’s the “evil nice lady” trope but done well and the unraveling as things go is well-executed. Plus, you’re rooting for the kids and the ending is emotional. Content warning for some serious body horror, though.

Welcome to The Circle: A dad and a daughter get attacked by a bear and wind up at the compound of a demon-worshipping cult. Meanwhipe, a group of people is heading to the compound to rescue one member’s wife. The demon repeatedly takes the forms of people important to the protagonists and cult members, punishes those who do not do its bidding, and we wonder if anyone is going to get out alive. They’re trying for a David Lynch feel but that’s kind of gimmicky and ultimately boring. It does has its moments, though.

Shelby Oaks: Of all of the movies I watched, I thought this had the most potential. It begins like a true crime documentary about a Ghost Hunter YouTuber whoe disappeared and the mystery went viral because it involved the supernatural. Her sister has not stopped looking for her and the documentary crew is centering her in their story. It’s a solid first twenty minutes until it becomes a conventional horror movie that follows every bad trope, has characters make dumb mistakes, and winds up exactly where you think it will. If Camille Sullivan’s performance as the sister wasn’t so good, I would have turned it off once it got groan-worthy.

Luz: A German film that opens with a cab driver stumbling into a police station. She’s being followed by a demon. A psychiatrist helps her recollect a past relationship that my have something to with said demon and becomes all too real. It’s hard for me to summarize it, to be honest because it’s … weird? Man, that makes me sound stupid. It has its moments.

It Feeds: A woman approaches a girl and her clairvoyant mother saying something supernatural is feeding on her. So it becomes this fight against the entity as well as confronting her crazy father. Another movie that’s saved by its performances and while the climax is a bit cheesy, it’s fun to watch.

A Dark Song: Out of all of the films, it’s the most emotional and is the second-best on my list. An Irish film, it’s about a woman who is grieving for her seven-year-old boy and who finds a guy to help her perform an intense ritual. It takes months, is arduous, and goes wrong in several places. I cared about the characters and was invested in the story. The performances were outstanding. It’s a hidden gem.