The Witch of Endor and the Case for More Biblical Horror

The story of the Witch of Endor has always fascinated me. It’s a story with witches, ghosts, and necromancy tucked within the pages of scripture. It’s a horror story. But at the same time it’s a story about divine justice and the consequences of disobeying the Lord.

As a person who is naturally drawn to the macabre, as well as a person of faith, this story called to me. It spoke to me from the dust, and I knew I had to give it a shot. To bring it to life. You can watch the short film here:

Horror is a genre a lot of Christians shun and dismiss. They do this because it often represents and portrays evil, and they don’t view it as spiritually enlightening. This is ironic, because some of the best horror stories have their origin in scripture. The devil himself, the greatest villain of all time, is the ultimate Christian villain. Most exorcism stories are about themes of good vs evil, where often the good guys win. One must only look at the success of the Conjuring Universe to see that audiences want stories where people fight off evil demons and that young people especially are hungry for these kinds of stories.

I think more Christians ought to engage with and tell horror stories. Horror has the highest stakes, life versus death, or even higher — the stake of one’s eternal soul. The darker the evil force working against our protagonist, the more satisfying and glorious the victory when light prevails. There is no contradiction between horror and faith — and as we grapple with the horror of the world in which we live, stories of people of faith overcoming supernatural horrors can be a beacon of hope that we can look to. On the flip side, tragic tales of horror can serve as fables and examples of what not to do and the consequences of sin. 

Art by The ARCH-HIVE's very own LAZERos.

The Bible contains legions of potential films within its pages. Literally. Hollywood is sitting on a goldmine and doesn’t even realize it. That’s part of the reason we are seeing a Christian renaissance. People of faith are making their own projects now. Thanks to The Chosen and Angel Studios, independent Christian content is having a moment. We are seeing a revival of Christian cinema and episodic content. We are learning that there is an audience for this kind of content. With this explosion of content comes experimentation. The Promised Land is a biblical comedy à la The Office but with the ancient Israelites. There have also been notable forays into biblical horror — including The Carpenter’s Son, a film starring Nicolas Cage as Joseph who must protect a young Jesus from an evil entity, and Ramon Menon’s Virgin, where evil forces attack Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem in a last ditch effort to prevent Jesus from ever being born. 

These are exciting developments,  but there is much more that could be done! Scripture is filled with tales of violence and terror. The 10 plagues of Egypt. A flood that drowns the world. Prophets calling fire down from heaven. Apostles casting out demons and showdowns with the devil himself. The Book of Mormon likewise contains numerous horrific accounts of war, genocide, cannibalism and political assassinations by secret societies. That’s even without delving into the terrifying prophecies of the last days found in the book of Revelation! 

I’m very excited for the future of Biblical and Christian horror — and I’m honored that The Witch of Endor can be a part of this movement. 

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About the Author

Derek Hutchins is an author and filmmaker residing in Utah. In addition to writing and directing The Witch of Endor, he is the author of Mansion of Doom. Raised in Connecticut, (the most haunted state), he developed a love for horror and the fantastic at an early age.