#179: The Devil Rides Out
Putting the “cult” in cult classic — hang on, have I done this joke already?
This review was originally posted to Twitter on September 6, 2019.
Initial release: July 20, 1968
Director: Terence Fisher
Terence Fisher is a legend in the annals of 50s/60s horror schlock; with frequent collaborator Christopher Lee, they redefined Dracula for a new generation, put Hammer Films on the map, and with The Devil Rides Out, they’re back to fight Satan.
It’s rare to see Lee in a heroic role, as he’s so often cast as a villain. In this case, he plays the well-learned Nicholas, duke of Richleau and World War 1 ace pilot, who discovers that his deceased friend’s son Simon has been recruited into a suspicious “astronomical society.” Quickly deducing the true nature of the society (hint: they’re a Satanic coven), Nicholas and his friend Rex set about trying to break the coven’s hold over Simon, and Tanith, another new recruit, before they’re baptized at a grand Sabbat the eve before May Day.
Charles Gray is cult leader Mocata, a charming fellow whose lantern jaw belies cunning and power. An amazing scene midway through the film involves Mocata using his mind control powers on Nicholas’ niece while Simon and Tanith are compelled into attacking their watchers.
This is a film full of false climaxes, starting with Nick and Rex interrupting the Sabbat ritual (by throwing a crucifix at Baphomet, of all things.) Later there’s a lengthy sequence where Nick and company attempt to wait out the night as Mocata sends his agents after them. The film finally ends as they trace Mocata back to an old church, and the gimmick of some magic words that instantly solve the problem is used for the second time in this film, coming with a convenient reset button that obliterates the cult while restoring everything else.
So it’s a bit of a shaky story, but so what? This is a fantastic-looking film with a couple of great chase sequences, solid editing, and some truly amazingly creepy scenes. Charles Gray especially manages to be cordial and threatening at the same time. Nicholas is obviously Lee’s take on Peter Cushing’s van Helsing, though he does it differently from the brusque asshole he played in Fisher’s 1964 flick The Gorgon. The rest of the cast is decent, though Sarah Lawson as Nick’s niece has more agency than you’d expect of a secondary character from this era of film. The script is a bit hokey, sure, and drags some. Rex doesn’t have a lot of characterization, despite being a major part of the plot. A lot of the dialogue is really cornball, especially from Lee, but he pulls it off so smoothly and believably that you can’t help but just nod along.
Final thoughts: This is a well-acted, well-directed film that manages to be much creepier than many of its contemporaries. It’s not as iconic as some of Hammer’s repertoire, but it’s a solid movie in spite of some script issues and goofy effects.
