The Devil Rides Out

G

1968

1h 35m

Horror

List

96%

23 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

When the Duc de Richleau (Christopher Lee) and Rex Van Ryn (Leon Greene) arrive at a fashionable party thrown by de Richleau's protégé, Simon Aron (Patrick Mower), they soon realize that the party is in fact a gathering of a Satanic cult, led by the high priest Mocata (Charles Gray), that plans to initiate the beautiful Tanith (Nike Arrighi) that night. It's up to de Richleau and Van Ryn to defeat the devil-worshiping Mocata and save innocent young Tanith and the others from a terrible fate.

Read More

Read Less

Prime Video

Rent The Devil Rides Out on Prime Video, or buy it on Prime Video.

g j

A bit too stiff and hammy to really appeal to modern audiences. Even Lee is pretty wooden.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/11/24

Full Review

S R

A unique hammer film that from the get go confronts satanism. Most leave it until the end and none covered it in such depth. The melodrama was a bit much, but I enjoyed it. Saw on TCM.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/17/23

Full Review

justin t

For an older film this looks fantastic. The visual effects are old-fashioned but engaging enough that it doesn't take you out of the experience. They are all very real feeling effects. It is a visual film without being too stupid. The sound is a little scrappy but not too bad. Could be a lot worse. Interesting devil story with a lot of content meaning it has a very good pace. The tone is not as scary as it should be. It is a little too happy and camp which isn't a bad thing except when you're talking about the Devil! Overall surprisingly enjoyable.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Matthew D

Christopher Lee blows up demons with holy hand grenades. Who says Christian movies can't be good?

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/27/21

Full Review

Audience Member

This is a wonderful movie I believe it's the one with Christopher Lee I suggest you watch this movie however to parents just because his movies rated G doesn't mean it's for everybody it is frightening and scary this movie is very excellent watch it

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Author Dennis Wheatley was expelled from Dulwich College for allegedly forming a "secret society," which is pretty awesome and hilarious. He was also gassed while serving in World War One and then went on to coordinate strategic military deception and cover plans during World War Two, during which he earned a direct commission in the JP Service as a Wing Commander and took part in the plans for the Normandy invasions. After the war, he was awarded the U.S. Bronze Star. After his second book, The Forbidden Territory, he decided to write a book about black magic. A friend introduced him to Aleister Crowley, the Reverend Montague Summers and Rollo Ahmed, which led to The Devil Rides Out. In the years after this novel, Wheatley became known as an expert on came to be considered an expert on the paranormal. He was so popular for this that in the 70s, there was even The Dennis Wheatley Library of the Occult, a series of books that he selected and wrote the introductions for, including books by Crowley, Bram Stoker, H. P. Blavatsky, Maurice Magre, Isaac Bonewits and Cheiro. This was one of Christopher Lee's favorite movies — he's a heroic character, which is rare for him — and would say in interviews that Wheatley was so pleased with the movie that he gave the actor a first edition of the book. The Devil Rides Out doesn't dance around the issue as to whether or not. the devil exists. Lee's Duc de Richleau character — who appeared in eleven of Wheatley's novels — doesn't just fight occultists. He comes up against the literal Goat of Mendes called Baphomet and the Angel of Death for real. This movie also presents Christianity as the ultimate destroyer of evil, so if you get upset by the Conjuring films and how they simplistically make the battle of heaven and hell white and black, well…this movie goes even further. Wheatley believed all of these things and even saw Communism as a force from Hell. If you only know Charles Gray from Rocky Horror, let me tell you, he's great in this movie. I love every single minute of this film. His character of Mocata was based on Crowley in the book, in which he was seeking to start an occult magic world war with a mummified penis called the Talisman of Set. Obviously, that is not in the film. While Simon and Tanith were played by Patrick Mower and Nike Arrighi in the film, the roles were originally going to be given to Roddy McDowall and Linda Evans. Sadly, McDowall had to pull out at the last minute to take care of his ailing friend Louise Brooks, who was suffering from emphysema and arthritis. Directed by Terence Fisher from a script by Ricard Matheson, I'd say this is in the top ten of Hammer's output.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Terence Fisher

Director

Christopher Lee

Duc de Richleau

Charles Gray

Mocata

Nike Arrighi

Tanith Carlisle

Leon Greene

Rex Van Ryn

Patrick Mower

Simon Aron

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

81%

61%

Dracula Has Risen From the Grave

87%

82%

The Haunting

81%

47%

Mark of the Vampire

60%

61%

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

80%

74%

Creature From the Black Lagoon

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

To this day, there are scenes that send giddy chills hurtling up and down my spine every time I think about them.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 23, 2023

Full Review

Chris Bennion

Times (UK)

The music is shrill, the screams of the leading ladies shriller still, and the dialogue is satisfyingly hokey (”Don’t look at the eyes, Rex!”).

Mar 27, 2023

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Fisher's direction makes one of the Satanic orgies a production highspot, aided by some frenzied choreography by David Toguri and apt mood music.

Dec 10, 2007

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Pervasive weirdness, even if nonsensical, tends to win out in these kinds of tales; afterwards might be a different matter, but at the time, many of the concepts appear sincere.

Rated: 6/10

Sep 22, 2022

Full Review

Alberto Abuín

Espinof

The film doesn't offer the slightest respite to the viewer from the first minute, in which the main theme is directly addressed and the characters are perfectly defined by Fisher's camera. [Full Review in Spanish]

May 7, 2020

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The film's greatest strength rests in the casting of Christopher Lee as the hero rather than the villain.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 2, 2019

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

When the Duc de Richleau (Christopher Lee) and Rex Van Ryn (Leon Greene) arrive at a fashionable party thrown by de Richleau's protégé, Simon Aron (Patrick Mower), they soon realize that the party is in fact a gathering of a Satanic cult, led by the high priest Mocata (Charles Gray), that plans to initiate the beautiful Tanith (Nike Arrighi) that night. It's up to de Richleau and Van Ryn to defeat the devil-worshiping Mocata and save innocent young Tanith and the others from a terrible fate.

Director: Terence Fisher
Production Co: Hammer Films
Rating: G
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 35m

Most Popular at Home Now