Review of The Devil Rides Out (1968) by Brett B — 04 Oct 2013

One of the best of the Hammer Films line-up, this is a top-notch occult mystery that boasts a chilling soundtrack, fine direction, and a powerful performance from Christopher Lee. Lee gets the rare opportunity to play a character on the side of "good," and he's terrific, a commanding and intelligent presence fighting the forces of darkness; it's too bad we didn't get to see much more of this side of Lee.

The players surrounding Lee are also good, including Charles Gray giving a fun performance as the evil mastermind behind the proceedings. The screenplay - by genre giant Richard Matheson - is thoughtful, literate, and quite effective at conjuring up a gnawing sense of unease.

While the visual effects are - at times - a bit sketchy (par for the course with films of this era, of course), I actually think that adds to the movie's charm. All things considered, this is an underseen gem of the genre.

Makes for a slightly pulpier companion piece to the other great satanic cult film of 1968, ROSEMARY'S BABY.