In 1634 France, charismatic Father Urbain Grandier becomes the target of sexually depraved Sister Jeanne's accusations of witchcraft, which corrupt officials of church and state are all too happy to exploit.
Where to Watch The Devils
- Doc WormNovember 1, 2026Watching the 2026 clockwork re-release of The Devils with fresh eyes shows an exercise in excess. A truly classic piece of film that has an exceptional attention to detail that serves to elevate its dour story.The sets, the gaudy costuming, the props, all serve to illustrate the relationship the between the church and its governing state. Well acted and scripted, Father Grandier and company all serve to bring its story to life. It almost comes across as mean spirited, but I fear its tale is more relevant than it may have been in the 70s. What state of proverbial walls of Loudon are in right now I suppose would be up to the eye of the beholder. To say that this was an impactful watch for me is almost a disservice. Definitely worth watching.
- YhoozernameSeptember 29, 2026Fun for the entire family!
- whiskah6kOctober 28, 2026Must see!
- SamOctober 22, 2026the exorcist and his little glasses is YUMMY ! YUYUUUMMMY 🥵🥵😤🥴🥴
- cultfilmlikerOctober 20, 2026After finally seeing this in cinemas, I gotta say: Can’t imagine why it was originally banned! Ken Russell ❤️ Black Narcissus Religious zealots 🤝 fascism Killing people for shjts and gigs Unfortunately saw that clip of Oliver Reed on The Tonight Show that’s been making the rounds. He still acts his ass off in this even if he’s a misogynistic chauvinist. It appears his disdain for women early on in the film is much less fictional than we were meant to believe tho! You can pretty clearly see the blueprint for Altered States in the direction. Big fan! That nerd ass inquisitor woulda never laid a finger on me lmao Ngl I think the punishment for Sister Jeanne was a little harsh. This movie fucked Fede Alvarez up. Or just inspired him. Either way, it’s not okay. (Joking, obviously) Featured in The One True Religion
- RickOctober 19, 2026This movie just oozes style. Father Pierre with his cut-off sleeve preacher gear would have been a sick frontman for a 70s rock band. But yea, religion being perverted and used to fuck with peoples lives. Tale as old as time.
- James SaenzOctober 19, 2026“it’s sprawling, it’s big, it’s fun- it’s fucked up! granted, it’s fucked up. but i see it as a mediation on cults, hero worship, mass murder, suici- everything! it’s life.” - martin scorsese, definitely talking about this movie in particular a few years ago i watched the passion of joan of arc and walked away from that feeling completely eviscerated. in my review i drew comparisons between her trial and the narrative of arthur miller’s the crucible, and after finishing this film i felt much the same way regarding my complete devastation and the relation those films/stories share; self-serving parties weaponize organized religion to further a political agenda, with no regard to the lives they destroy in said pursuit and heedless to the very tenants of the faith they claim to uphold. there is so much sacrilege in this film and it’s beautifully (or mortifyingly, mileage may vary) juxtaposed between the visual debauchery displayed on screen and the vile acts characters take in the name of the lord. is the rape of a carving of jesus christ upon the cross by an orgy of nuns blasphemous? sure, but no more than falsely accusing someone of witchcraft in the 1600s as a form of retaliation for unreciprocated sexual desire. is masturbation with the charred femur of a martyr profane? yes, but so is abusing a position of religious power to sexually abuse members of your congregation. but of course, the initial recoil is at the imagery, not the ill-intentioned political and personal maneuvering happening around the lechery. every action the officials of the church and state take in this picture are as sinful as the defilement of the crucifix, if not more so. subtlety be damned, russell wants to burn that symbolic imagery into your memory. urbaine grandier was not an innocent man, but that does not justify using him as a scapegoat to consolidate political power. it does not excuse torturing him and publicly vilifying him. the end of grandier’s life is kind of an inverse of john proctor’s; as he said, “i gave you my soul; leave me my name.” there’s so much i wish to discuss regarding this picture, but then we would be here for days. this film is a grand thing. it’s humorous and shocking and bleak and displays the extremes of human nature. it’s as poignant today as it was when it released in the 70s, and the story is as real today as it was in 17th century france. if we allow the state to execute those it deems an enemy, we are allowing it to commit sins against humanity in god’s name. if we are allowing public entertainment and state agenda to rule our society, then “christian morality” only exists as an extension of this agenda. the problem is, it’s not an if. it’s happening right now.
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The Devils was released on July 16, 1971.
The Devils was directed by Ken Russell.
The Devils has a runtime of 1h 52m.
The Devils was produced by Robert H. Solo, Ken Russell.
In 1634 France, charismatic Father Urbain Grandier becomes the target of sexually depraved Sister Jeanne's accusations of witchcraft, which corrupt officials of church and state are all too happy to exploit.
The key characters in The Devils are Sister Jeanne des Anges (Vanessa Redgrave), Father Urbain Grandier (Oliver Reed), Baron de Laubardemont (Dudley Sutton).
The Devils is rated R.
The Devils is a Drama, Horror, Biography film.
The Devils has an audience rating of 8.7 out of 10.
The Devils had a budget of $4.8M.
The Devils has made $4.4M at the box office.