Movies have unlimited freedom with the stories that they tell, but a universal theme is the ongoing struggle between good and evil, and when the former becomes corrupted into the latter.
There is no shortage of movies that pit good against evil, but what’s especially compelling is when some mysterious relic is responsible for a villainous change of heart. There are some exceptional movie oddities that have turned unsuspecting users into evil individuals.
10 The Lord Of The Rings' One Ring Corrupts Its Users Into Obsessive Monsters
One of the most popular items of corruption in cinema is the eponymous One Ring that’s at the center of the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy. The One Ring has such dangerous powers to permanently corrupt its bearer that Frodo and his fellowship must trek to Mount Doom to ensure its destruction.
Smeagol, Bilbo, and Frodo all experience the dangerous allure of the One Ring to different extents, but the grim fate of the Ringwraiths speaks to the intense corruption powers of the piece of jewelry. Sauron’s army of evil is entirely because of the One Ring’s dark energy.
9 The Loki Mask From The Mask Turns Whoever Wears It Into Chaotic Mischief
Loki, the God of Mischief, has grown into a considerably more mainstream figure due to the prominence of Marvel’s take on the character from the Thor franchise. It can be easy to forget that the classic 1990s Jim Carrey comedy, The Mask, hinges around a mysterious wooden mask that actually embodies the spirit of Loki and the rampant mischief that’s often associated with him.
In the film, Carrey’s Stanley Ipkiss succumbs to the allure of the mask, which gradually changes his personality and pushes him into more reckless and dangerous situations.
8 Wonder Woman 1984’s Dreamstone Brings Rewards At A Terrible Cost
Wonder Woman 1984 is a dizzying superhero sequel that some audiences are still trying to wrap their heads around, but the biggest point of contention within the movie is its broader energy that's a throwback to '80s movies.
The object of destruction in the Wonder Woman sequel is the Dreamstone, a monkey's paw-esque item that grants Maxwell Lord incredible powers. It's revealed that the Dreamstone is more of a curse than a treasure. It's created by the God of Lies and gradually taints the wishes that are made off of it, as well as those that ask for these luxuries.
7 Oculus’ Lasser Glass Mirror Has A History Of Turning Its Owners Into Murderous Puppets
Mike Flanagan has become a modern horror auteur thanks to inspired and terrifying offerings like The Haunting of Hill House and Doctor Sleep, but Oculus is one of the director’s most effective movies that often goes overlooked.
The movie breaks down a generational war against an evil mirror, the Lasser Glass, which will go to extreme lengths to not just preserve itself, but to doom its owners as well. The mirror can hypnotize those around it and force them to kill others, or manipulate their surroundings to even doom themselves. It wields deeply powerful and frightening magic.
6 The 1958 Plymouth Fury From Christine Brings Out The Worst In Its Rider
Stephen King is responsible for hundreds of horror stories, many of which imbue dark qualities to completely mundane items or animals. Christine is a story about an evil car, and John Carpenter’s feature film adaptation makes many improvements to King’s original story.
Carpenter’s Christine looks at a vintage 1958 Plymouth Fury that’s possessed with a murderous spirit that is able to do damage on its own, but also influence its rider to pick up some evil habits. Carpenter reflects on how a teen’s new car can transform their personality, but in this case, he makes it a murderous matter.
5 Juice’s Gun Turns Into A Cautionary Tale On The Spread Of Violence
Juice is a 1992 film directed by Ernest R. Dickerson and starring Tupac Shakur. The film creatively looks at the pressures and dangers that the Black youth faces in Harlem. Juice has a lot to say about police brutality on a surface level, but the film also functions as a moving allegory due to the gun that Tupac's Bishop acquires.
This gun functions as a symbol of evil and it might not literally infect Bishop, but as soon as he obtains it he begins to hurt others, even his own friends. He reaches an irredeemable point of no return.
4 The Cursed Videotape From The Ring Can Push Its Victims To Dire Places
An iconic artifact from horror cinema is The Ring’s cursed videotape. It gives whoever watches it a scant seven days to spread the word or face their death. Granted, the cursed videotape doesn’t directly possess those that watch it or explicitly make them evil, but it inflicts corruption in a much more subtle, psychological manner.
Those that watch the tape sometimes publicly spread the video and willfully endanger the lives of countless others in exchange for their own safety. Altruistic figures decide to throw caution to the wind after they become desperate from this curse.
3 The Brass Teapot’s Titular Object Tears Apart A Tender Marriage
The Brass Teapot is a 2012 independent movie that attempts to revitalize the classic monkey's paw parable. The movie looks at a married couple who is struggling financially, only for them to encounter a magical brass teapot that will fulfill their wishes and resolve their financial issues, but at the cost of physical pain.
As the couple grows more accustomed to their new wealth and standard of living, they also accept a greater level of malevolence in their lives as the end increasingly justifies the means.
2 Indiana Jones’ Ark Of The Covenant Isn’t Worth Its Great Rewards
The Ark of the Covenant from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark has become one of cinema’s most influential relics. There's a very simple danger that the Ark poses, yet it's still enough to destroy those that come in contact with the treasure.
People search for the Ark because it can grant its owner incredible power from God, but anyone who looks into it and views its spirits will meet their end. There's such legend behind the Ark and what it can do that it's been used to start and end wars and cause widespread devastation.
1 Hellraiser’s Lament Configuration Unlocks Such Horrible Wonders
Temptation can be a dangerous thing, especially when a rampant curiosity takes hold of these impulses. The Hellraiser movies are all about pain, sacrifice, and pleasure, with a truly disturbing world that gets revealed through Pinhead and his Cenobites.
Each Hellraiser movie begins through the triggering of the Lament Configuration, a Rubik's Cube-like puzzle that summons the devilish creatures from hell. It’s not as if the completion of the Lament Configuration turns the individual into a Cenobite, but it locks them into a risky arrangement with them that never ends well.