The Devils

R

Released Jul 16, 1971

1 hr. 49 min.

Horror

List

70%

33 Reviews

Tomatometer

88%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

In 17th-century France, Father Grandier (Oliver Reed) is a priest whose unorthodox views on sex and religion influence a passionate following of nuns, including the sexually obsessed Sister Jeanne (Vanessa Redgrave). When the power-hungry Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Logue) realizes he must eliminate Grandier to gain control of France, Richelieu portrays Grandier as a satanist and spearheads a public outcry to destroy the once-loved priest's reputation.

Read More

Read Less

Critics Consensus

Grimly stylish, Ken Russell's baroque opus is both provocative and persuasive in its contention that the greatest blasphemy is the leveraging of faith for power.

Read Critics Reviews

Francesco F

Crazy movie, extremely well acted, one of the best production design i've ever seen... Loved every minute of it!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/21/24

Full Review

Bil D

If interested in extra-morality views of human behavior, this could be an hour and more well spent.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/24

Full Review

Alec B

Wonderfully profane madness. Even if the film's capacity to shock has diminished, Russel's vision remains unparalleled. You still haven't seen anything like this.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/09/24

Full Review

helder f

A movie reminding us that religion and faith are far from perfect, and that a lot of evil can occur under the pretense of good and purity. Overall too campy.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/07/24

Full Review

William D

It's both bizarre and depraved, two traits that can often make up for a subpar story. Not in this case. I was surprised by how much money they spent on this. The sets and costumes are lavish and there seem to be hundreds of extras.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/25/23

Full Review

Ravenswood R

Over the top in many ways. Style points score higher than substance at times, but there is a message about political control and scapegoating and the incompetence of leaders and those in power, etc. Some British zaniness on display, a couple feet short of Monty Python, but at times too close, and the Python's are much better at it. The acting is stagy, but the blustery, old school oration and thespianism of Oliver Reed is really a treat to watch. He pulls it off - William Shatner times ten - but actually good somehow. A hit or miss film, probably best suited to acting students and theater people.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Ken Russell

Director

Oliver Reed

Urbain Grandier

Vanessa Redgrave

Sister Jeanne

Dudley Sutton

Baron De Laubardemont

Max Adrian

Ibert

Gemma Jones

Madeleine

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

78%

87%

The Exorcist

100%

51%

A Quiet Place in the Country

45%

36%

The Oblong Box

40%

43%

And Now the Screaming Starts

29%

29%

The Dunwich Horror

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Aubrey Plaza’s Five Favorite (Nun) Films

15 Boundary-Pushing Movies That Broke Sexual Taboos

View more photos

Margaret Hinxman

Daily Telegraph (UK)

What I find such a pity is that Russell should apparently so distrust his own skill as a mesmerising story-teller.

Mar 18, 2020

Full Review

Derek Malcolm

Guardian

What is quite certain is that Russell has been true to himself as never before and that in doing so, he will irritate, excite, bore and outrage more film-goers than ever before.

Mar 18, 2020

Full Review

David Robinson

Financial Times

Even more than The Music Lovers, The Devils reveals an infantile compulsion to shock and repel, cost what it will.

Mar 18, 2020

Full Review

Justine Smith

Vague Visages

While it is easy to get swept away by the crass vulgarism of his work, Russell uses his confrontational style in order to get below the surface of normalized and accepted institutions of abuse and oppression.

Nov 21, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

More than its images of medieval exorcism or nuns writhing in demonic ecstasy, it is how Russell critiques and questions the institutions held dear by Western civilization that earned the film its notorious reputation and censorship.

Rated: 4/4

Nov 17, 2022

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

The Devils is not the hysterical mess that causes critics to blow a gasket at the time, but a sobering and thoughtful depiction of the corrupt nature of power

Rated: 5/5

Apr 3, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

In 17th-century France, Father Grandier (Oliver Reed) is a priest whose unorthodox views on sex and religion influence a passionate following of nuns, including the sexually obsessed Sister Jeanne (Vanessa Redgrave). When the power-hungry Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Logue) realizes he must eliminate Grandier to gain control of France, Richelieu portrays Grandier as a satanist and spearheads a public outcry to destroy the once-loved priest's reputation.

Director: Ken Russell
Screenwriter: Aldous Huxley, Ken Russell, John Whiting
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Home Vídeo
Production Co: Warner Brothers, Russo Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 16, 1971, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 13, 2017
Sound Mix: Mono