Written by Richard Matheson
Directed by Terrence Fisher
Duc de Richleau: "You will also remember, Simon, what I said to you about the Angel of Death once being summoned..."
Simon: "...cannot return empty handed."
For my horror reviews for the next two months, I will alternate between the current day stuff as well as a dive into older ones. Anything with the word "devil" will definitely get a closer look and this movie was on my radar for a bit.
Christopher Lee, the horror icon he is. Well, I think this might be one of his greatest performances in the genre. In this occult themed movie, he's playing the role of the erudite Nicholas, Duc de Richleau. He's one of a few protagonists but by far the most charismatic of the bunch.
Anyways Nicholas and his friend, Rex Van Ryn (Leon Greene) find themselves having to rescue corrupted rich boy, Simon Aron (Patrick Mower) from a devil worshipping cult and neeedless to say that wasn't a fun task. It also didn't help that Simon didn't exactly want to be rescued to begin with before he realised the real danger he was in.
Usually with these films, there's also a bit of a love story attached and it's with Rex falling for another cultist who was actually named Tanith Carlisle (Nike Arrighi). It's not the greatest element of the movie but nor did it distract too much from proceedings. Needless to say, the cult in question really don't like having their members snatched away from them.
The cult being devil worshippers led by the threatening enough Mocata (Charles Gray). He does prove to be a decent thorn in Nicholas's side, especially when he adducted the daughter of Nicholas's niece, Marie (Sarah Lawson) and Richard (Paul Eddington). Of course the great plot from Mocata doesn't strictly pan out the way he wanted to.
Yes, there's a few attempts of ritual sacrifices, characters falling under demonic corruption and of course, a resolution that involved time travel. It's certainly a way to solve the main issue while at the same time, offering a suitable comeuppance to the villain in question.
- This movie was based on a book of the same title by Denis Wheatley that was released in 1934.
- The US version of this movie is titled The Devil's Bride, which does work a little better as a title.
- Mocata does seem to be blatantly based on famous occultist Aleister Crowley.
- Chronology: Set in 1929 in both London and the South of England. May Day factored into the movie.
The Devil Rides Out might feel tame by today's standards but there are some nice moments that do provide some good scares. Great performances from Christopher Lee and Charles Gray also help elevate a lot of the material too.
Rating: 8 out of 10
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