The Tao Exorcist
Released
4.6out of 10
Based on 1 rating
Where to stream it
Streaming data from JustWatch.
Late at night, a father throws his children into a kiln, muttering, “They’re no longer ours.” Their screams fade into the flames. Young exorcist Xiao Tuo suspects his classmate Nianqi is possessed, uncovering her stepfather Zhen-Kai’s use of dark rituals. As her siblings show disturbing behavior, Zhen-Kai plans a deadly purge. Xiao Tuo links the evil spirit to his own injured father, and together with Nianqi, uncovers a horrifying truth tied to a missing persons case from fifteen years ago.
How it scares
Each kind of scare is rated out of 10. Hover over a score, or use the info button, to see what it means.
- Gore
4.0 out of 10,Moderate
Blood, injuries and body horror shown on screen. Violence that happens off-screen barely counts.
Gore 4.0 is moderate (3-4 on the scale):
- Visible blood and wounds in a few scenes
- The camera cuts away before the worst of it
- 1-2Mild
- 3-4Moderate
- 5-6Strong
- 7-8Intense
- 9-10Extreme
- Creepy
4.0 out of 10,Moderate
Unsettling images, atmosphere and things that feel wrong. Not sudden shocks (Jumpscares) or waiting for something to happen (Suspense).
Creepy 4.0 is moderate (3-4 on the scale):
- An eerie mood with some disturbing characters or images
- Unsettling in places, but it rarely gets under your skin
- 1-2Mild
- 3-4Moderate
- 5-6Strong
- 7-8Intense
- 9-10Extreme
- Jumpscares
4.0 out of 10,Moderate
Sudden shocks designed to make you jump, usually a fast movement or a loud noise. Not slow-building dread (Suspense).
Jumpscares 4.0 is moderate (3-4 on the scale):
- A handful of jumpscares that land
- Spaced out, with long gaps between them
- 1-2Mild
- 3-4Moderate
- 5-6Strong
- 7-8Intense
- 9-10Extreme
- Suspense
5.0 out of 10,Strong
Tension and dread while you wait for something to happen. Not the scare itself when it arrives (Jumpscares or Gore).
Suspense 5.0 is strong (5-6 on the scale):
- High tension that keeps you on edge
- Calm moments are short and don't last
- 1-2Mild
- 3-4Moderate
- 5-6Strong
- 7-8Intense
- 9-10Extreme
- Psychological
5.0 out of 10,Strong
Horror that gets in your head: paranoia, madness, doubting what's real and ideas that stay with you. Not how a scene looks (Creepy) or feels in the moment (Suspense).
Psychological 5.0 is strong (5-6 on the scale):
- Paranoia, madness or a story that makes you question what's real
- A big part of the film, and it stays with you afterwards
- 1-2Mild
- 3-4Moderate
- 5-6Strong
- 7-8Intense
- 9-10Extreme
How the overall score of 4.6 is worked out
A film's three strongest kinds of scare count, with some weighted. Averages bunch up in the middle, so the result is then spread out from the average across every rated film.
- Each kind of scare is weighted: gore loses a point, and creepy and jumpscares gain one.
- Gore 4.0 − 1 = 3.0
- Creepy 4.0 + 1 = 5.0
- Jumpscares 4.0 + 1 = 5.0
- Suspense 5.0, unchanged
- Psychological 5.0, unchanged
- The average of the 3 highest (creepy, jumpscares, suspense): (5.0 + 5.0 + 5.0) ÷ 3 = 5.0.
- The average film scores 5.4, and the gap from it counts 2 times, so scores use the whole scale: 5.4 + (5.0 − 5.4) × 2 = 4.6.
See every answer and the full working or try your own scores in the calculator
Latest ratings
Where it sits on the Scare Scale
The Tao Exorcist is number 2250 of 2464 rated films on the Scare Scale, with an overall score of 4.6 out of 10.
Every line is a rated film. Hover, tap or drag along the line to compare.
- The Strangers: Chapter 24.6
- The Swarm4.6
- The Tao Exorcist (this film)4.6
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre4.6
- The Thing4.6
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