10/08/2026
The Devil Rides Out (1968)
Directed by Terence Fisher and based on Dennis Wheatley’s 1934 novel, The Devil Rides Out is one of Hammer Films’ finest excursions into Satanism, black magic and the occult.
Set in 1920s England, the story follows the aristocratic Duc de Richleau, played with commanding authority by Christopher Lee, as he discovers that his young friend Simon Aron has become involved with a secret Satanic cult. The group is led by the charismatic and sinister Mocata, a powerful occultist determined to initiate Simon and another young woman, Tanith, into his circle.
Realising the danger they face, de Richleau wages a battle against Mocata that quickly moves beyond the physical world. Hypnosis, ritual magic, demonic apparitions and a terrifying invocation of the Goat of Mendes all come into play as the cult attempts to reclaim its initiates. One of the film’s most memorable sequences sees de Richleau and his companions trapped inside a protective magic circle while supernatural forces try to break their resolve.
Unlike many Hammer productions, The Devil Rides Out treats its occult subject matter with unusual seriousness. Christopher Lee, himself fascinated by occult literature, considered the film one of his favourite Hammer productions and gives one of his strongest performances as the knowledgeable and determined de Richleau.
With its sinister rituals, atmospheric direction and striking imagery, The Devil Rides Out remains a cornerstone of British occult horror and one of Hammer’s essential films of the 1960s.
