A look at some of the screen’s most malevolent portrayals of Satan
What are horror movies but representations and distortions of the eternal battle between light and dark, good and evil, right and wrong, creation and destruction?
No matter what tale is told, the essence of the genre rests in this dichotomy and conflict, with many movies realizing that battle while specifically alluding to Christian, Islamic and other religion-steeped riffs on the Divine standing in opposition to the Underworld.
Y’know… God vs.The Devil.
The Devil. Shaitain. Beelzebub. Lucifer. Asmodeus. Belial.
The Devil is the beast of many names and his essence has been exploited in horror since Georges Melies made Le Manoir Du Diable in 1896. That silent loop was the first horror film ever made, incidentally and featured bats, creepy locals and of course, The Devil in the flesh.
And while we’ve seen Old Scratch appear in countless quality (and otherwise) creepers since then, today we’re plucking 8 of our favorite cinematic incarnations of Satan in horror, some you may know, a couple that may be tad more obscure.
So sign away your soul (or at least 5 minutes of your day) and scan through our gallery of great portrayals of The Lord of the Flies.
Devil
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Psychomania (1971)
The undead biker classic about suicidal post-Mod moto-enthusiasts has earned its cult reputation. In the middle of its very British mayhem, stands George Sanders, who killed himself after starring in the movie. Sanders plays a butler named Shadwell who is probably Satan. We like to think he is, anyway. Sanders brings gravitas and class to the movie and his Devil is misleadingly kind, hiding his true agenda.
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Lisa and the Devil (1972)
The butler did it again! In this haunting Mario Bava classic, a pre-Kojak Telly Savalas plays Leandro, the manservant in a family mansion full of dangerous eccentrics. And if the lollipop-popping Savalas may not be THE Devil, but he's certainly A Devil, a wraith that pretends to serve but is in fact moving the cast members around in a fever-dream chess game. One of Bava's best and Savalas is at his most sinister...
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Vengeance of the Zombies (1973)
Typically atmospheric Spanish creeper directed by Leon Klimovsky and written by and starring the legendary Paul Naschy. While the movie deals with a serial killer and his zombified female victims, one delirious stretch sees Naschy playing Satan and, although he's essayed the role elsewhere, this is his greatest riff on The Devil. Look at that photo...chilling.
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The Evil (1978)
Richard Crenna and Andrew Prine topline this insane haunted house shocker that sees Victor Buono's dapper, bearded and cloven hooved Satan trapped in the basement. The film is goofy fun but Buono's Devil is unforgettable.
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Angel Heart (1987)
Alan Parker's mesmerizing horror/noir sees '50s private eye Mickey Rourke hired by a mysterious client named Louis Cyphre to find a crooner named Johnny Favorite. "Louis Cyphre. Lucifer. Even your name is a dime store joke...". Robert De Niro channels the look of his pal Martin Scorsese to essay one of the screen's most terrifying incarnations of Satan in one of the greatest horror films ever made.
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The Devil's Advocate (1997)
Director Taylor Hackford's entertaining thriller keeps its horror on the sidelines as it tells the tale of a defense lawyer (Keanu Reeves) who gets sucked into a parasitic firm headed by Al Pacino's charming but malevolent "John Milton". But Pacino is of course The Devil and his "Hoo-Haw!" screaming style is put to perfect use, especially during the fiery climax.
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Constantine (2005)
Francis Lawrence's adaptation of the Hellblazer comics sees Keanu Reeves once more running afoul of Satan. His Constantine is a supernatural detective who battles theological evil everywhere he goes and meets The Devil himself in the form of the great Peter Stormare. Stormare's Satan is blanched and red eyed,like a junkie and shifts around in an ill fitting white suit. Brilliant.
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Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011)
Say what you will about the Nicolas Cage-starring Ghost Rider sequel (we rather liked it) but there's no denying how great Ciaran Hinds is as The Devil. Hinds' Satan is a blustery, frustrated patriarch, a novel portrait of old Scratch...
