Movies

Satanic Panic: 7 Diabolical Films Featuring the Prince of Darkness

Published

5 years ago

March 29, 2021

There’s a whole new rush of Satanic Panic going on in this country thanks largely in part to a new music video by Lil Nas X where the out and proud rapper gives Satan a lap dance before killing the Dark Lord and taking his horns.

I won’t get into the social commentary here. I’ll just say that while other people are clutching their pearls over “Montero (Call Me By Your Name,” I’m sitting here watching the video on a loop and thinking about all the great movies we’ve seen over the decades involving Satan, the Devil, the Prince of Darkness, or whatever other title you’d like to ascribe to the Lord of Hell.

Might as well write about it, right?!

So, without further ado, let’s check out some of my favorites in no particular order. Don’t forget to tell me yours in the comments below!

Satanic Panic Cinema!

#1 Prince of Darkness

John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness is an underrated classic if you ask me.

Melding sci-fi and horror in that signature Carpenter style, the film focuses on a group of grad students brought together on a project in an old abandoned church. What makes this particular film so great is the pseudo-scientific explanation for the origins of evil, and the fact that Satan is condensed into a concentrated liquid form that, once unleashed, will bring hell to earth.

The film boasts one hell of a cast including Donald Pleasence, Jameson Parker, Victor Wong, Lisa Blount, Ann Yen, Dennis Dun, Susan Blanchard, and even boasts a special appearance by Alice Cooper, himself!

I personally think Jameson Parker’s mustache needs its own credit in the film, as well, but no one will listen…

#2 Angel Heart

This visually-stunning horror noir film is yet another underrated classic in my book.

Based on the novel by William Hjortsberg, Angel Heart was written and directed by Alan Parker (The Road to Wellville) and stars Mickey Rourke as Harry Angel, a private detective hired by a mysterious man named Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) to track down a man named Johnny Favorite who has every reason for wanting to hide out. This is a slow-burn movie with a hell of a pay off–see what I did there?–that everyone should see at least once.

Also of note, is Lisa Bonet’s brilliant performance in the film. She is absolutely entrancing as the enigmatic Epiphany Proudfoot.

#3 Legend

Now, I know what you’re thinking. This isn’t a horror movie AND technically Tim Curry’s character wasn’t “the Devil.” I know all of that and I don’t care!

This dark fantasy film from 1985 was written by William Hjotsberg and directed by Ridley Scott, and Tim Curry was one of the sexiest, over-the-top Devil character’s we’ve ever seen on film. I was beyond terrified of him as a child. He just had a way of carrying himself throughout the film that oozed exactly the right kind of danger, and I’m still a little shocked that Mia Sara and Tom Cruise managed to defeat him.

If you’ve got a taste for sinister characters in a high fantasy setting, Legend is the film for you.

#4 The Prophecy

Oooh, this movie! Look, while other films that came after it have chosen to frame angels as violent and vengeful, back in 1995 when The Prophecy was released, very few had taken that path.

The film revolves around a Los Angeles detective (Elias Koteas) who discovers an ancient prophecy is coming to pass and he sets out on a path to keep it from happening. The angel Gabriel (Christopher Walken) is on the warpath, and the detective and a woman named Katherine (Virginia Madsen) find themselves reluctantly in league with, who else, Lucifer (Viggo Mortensen).

A lesser actor would have faltered when facing off with Walken, but not Mortensen. He is a walking sinister presence that never becomes a caricature. He also has some of the best lines in the film.

“You see,” he says, “I’m not here to help you little bitch because I love you or because I care for you, but because two hells is one hell too many, and I can’t have that.”

With a constantly twisting plot, the film is so much fun to watch which is why it has earned itself a cult following.

#5 The Devil’s Advocate

“Vanity, definitely my favorite sin,” so says Al Pacino as John Milton aka the Devil in The Devil’s Advocate which finds Keanu Reeves as a Southern lawyer drawn to a fancy New York law firm run by Old Scratch himself.

This film is beautifully shot and Pacino seems right at home in his diabolical role. He delivers every line with relish and a half-wink to let us know that he’s up to something like some villain from a 1930s melodrama, and yet he still manages to pull of a sinister quality.

What I love most about the film, however, is how much lore there is to dig into. There are little signs and Easter eggs all over the place, and it’s fun to and catch them all.

#6 Constantine

Speaking of relishing a role, has anyone ever had as good a time playing the Devil as Peter Stormare looked like he was having in Constantine?!

Based on the DC Comics, the film stars Keanu Reeves as John Constantine, a chain-smoking demonologist, exorcist, all-around supernatural jack-of-all-trades who is approached by Det. Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) after her twin sister, Isabel, supposedly commits suicide. The case leads them into a demonic plot involving Gabriel–this time played by Tilda Swinton–and Satan, himself.

Though the film was panned by many, it’s still a fun watch and deserves a revisit from time to time if for nothing else than to see Stormare’s Satan chew the scenery in his own fiery fashion.

#7 The Witches of Eastwick

Three women (Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer) looking for a little spice in their life accidentally conjure up the Devil in the guise of Daryl Van Horne (Jack Nicholson) and chaos of every kind ensues.

That’s it. That’s the movie, and it’s worth every single minute of it. While the mood doesn’t seem entirely sinister most of the time, there are moments of real terror in this film. I don’t care what anyone says, when Veronica Cartwright starts projectile vomiting cherry pits as she descends into madness, it absolutely chills me to the bone. This is especially effective as the scene is intercut with Van Horne coaxing the women to, “Have another cherry.”

If you haven’t seen this classic in a while, it’s definitely time for a rewatch.

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Movies

5 Horror & Thriller Films Premiering at Cannes 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

April 14, 2026

Kirsten Saylor

The Cannes Film Festival is widely considered the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held annually in Cannes since its founding in 1946, the invitation-only event showcases new films from across the globe, spanning every genre from auteur-driven dramas to boundary-pushing horror. Taking place at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, Cannes remains one of the “Big Three” European festivals alongside Venice Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival, as well as part of the global “Big Five,” which also includes Toronto International Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival.

The 79th annual Cannes Film Festival runs from May 12-23, 2026, with Park Chan-wook (director of Oldboy (2003), The Handmaiden (2016), and No Other Choice (2025)) serving as jury president. French-Malian actress Eye Haїdara will host the opening and closing ceremonies. At the same time, honorary Palme d’Or awards will be presented to Peter Jackson (director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Barbra Streisand. The festival opens with The Electric Kiss, directed by Pierre Salvadori.

But now let’s get to the really good stuff.

Among the lineup this year are several genre entries that should have horror and thriller fans paying very close attention for their theater releases which will be later in the year. Here are five films I’m especially excited about, all of which are premiering at Cannes 2026.

Hope (Korean: 호프)

Directed by Na Hong-jin (The Wailing), Hope looks like one of the most intriguing genre entries in competition for the Palme d’Or.

Set in a remote village near the Korean Demilitiarized Zone (DMZ), the film’s premise appears, at first, to be a contained crisis: a tiger sighting that throws the community into worried chaos. But as the situation escalates, something far more sinister begins to emerge, forcing residents to confront a terrifying unknown.

With a stacked international cast including Hwang Jung-min (Veteran, New World, I, the Executioner), Zo In-sung (A Frozen Flower, The King, It’s Okay, That’s Love), Jung Ho-yeon (Squid Game, Disclaimer),Taylor Russell (Bones and All, Waves), Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina, The Danish Girl, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.), and Michael Fassbender (Shame, Prometheus, X-Men: First Class), this one feels like it could be a major crossover hit.

Her Private Hell

From Nicholas Winding Refn (The Neon Demon) comes a surreal, neon-drenched nightmare that feels perfectly at home within his filmography.

A mysterious mist engulfs a futuristic city, unleashing a deadly and elusive force. At the center is a young woman searching for her father, whose path collides with an American soldier on a desperate mission of his own: rescue his daughter from Hell.

Starring Sophie Thatcher (Companion, Heretic, Prospect), Charles Melton (May December, Warfare, Riverdale), Havana Rose Liu (Bottoms, No Exit, Bleu de Chanel), Diego Calva (Babylon, The Night Manager, On Swift Horses — seriously, I’m so excited to see him in new work!) and more, this out-of-competition premiere could end up being one of the most talked about, and hopefully one of my personal favorites.

Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images – © 2025 Stephane Cardinale – Corbis

Karma

Directed by Guillaume Canet (Tell No One), Karma is a French psychological thriller that leans into moral ambiguity.

The story follows Jeanne, a woman attempting to rebuild her life in Spain while hiding a troubled past. When her young godson disappears, suspicion quickly falls on her, forcing her to flee to a religious community she once escaped. As her partner searches for the truth, the narrative spirals into a tense mystery.

Led by Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose, Inception, Rust and Bone), who always delivers an outstanding performance, Karma appears to be a slow-burn kind of thriller that will really keep audiences captivated.

Colony (Korean: 군체)

Zombie maestro Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan) returns with Colony, a claustrophobic kind of outbreak thriller premiering in the midnight section at Cannes.

Set inside a sealed biotech facility, the film follows survivors trapped during a rapidly mutating viral outbreak. As the infected evolve in unpredictable ways, tensions inside the quarantine zone rise just as quickly as the body count.

This zombie film stars Jun Ji-hyun (Assassination) and Koo Kyo-hwan (Peninsula), and paired Yeon Sang-ho, I’m hoping we get a really great zombie thriller to add to the arsenal.

Photo by Ryan Plummer/Ryan Plummer – © 2026

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma

Yes, the title alone already earns a spot on this list.

Written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun (I Saw the TV Glow), this meta-slasher follows a queer filmmaker hired to direct a reboot of a long-running horror franchise. Her fixation on the film’s reclusive “final girl” actress leads both women into an increasingly surreal and psychosexual spiral.

Starring Hannah Einbinder (Hacks, Seekers of Infinite Love) and Gillian Anderson (The X-Files, The Fall, Hannibal), this Un Certain Regard entry sounds as though it might be one of the boldest, and strangest, films of the entire festival.

While Cannes isn’t traditionally known for its horror under any circumstances, this year’s lineup continues to show that bold, genre-bending storytelling absolutely has a place on the Croisette.

iHorror will keep you updated on these films’ theatrical and/or streaming releases!

Movies

Which Poster Did It Better?

Published

2 months ago

February 24, 2026

Timothy Rawles

We have a fun question for you: Who did it better?

Did you ever notice how similar the 1992 poster for Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive is to Wes Craven’s Scream that came out in 1996? They aren’t identical, but they could be considered spiritual sisters.

Not much is known about the Dead Alive poster. It appears to have its lead actress, Diana Peñalver, front and center with eyes wide open and mouth agape. It was a shocking image for a one-sheet at the time, but it was fitting for the film, which used over 300 liters of fake blood in the final scene.

Dead Alive was also controversial. In the UK and Australia, it was shown in its entire 104-minute run. But it had to be cut down to 94 minutes when it hit the German and American markets. Originally titled Braindead, it was renamed Dead Alive in those countries.

As for the Scream poster, we know it’s Drew Barrymore‘s face; she also has her mouth agape and her eyes wide open like Peñalver‘s.

In a classic on-theme misdirect, Barrymore appears to have a major role in Scream, given how prominent she is in the poster. In reality, she is only onscreen for 13 minutes.

Scream’s photo was taken by an unknown photographer. It doesn’t capture Dead Alive’s comedy element, but Scream wasn’t exactly a straight comedy. Its humor was more in the meta references.

Movies

‘Axes and Os’ Is Now Streaming — A Fresh Valentine Slasher With a Savage Creature Feature Twist

Published

2 months ago

February 13, 2026

Vivian Thorne

It’s happening.

Indie horror fans have a new killer obsession—Axes and Os, the wildly original Valentine-themed slasher that blends classic stalk-and-slash thrills with a monstrous creature-feature surprise. The film is now streaming and delivering blood, laughs, and a brutal new horror icon.

Love Hurts — Literally

Set during a chaotic Galentine’s getaway, Axes and Os follows four young women who escape to a quiet small town for a weekend of romance, friendship, and fun—only to find themselves hunted by the legendary Valentine’s Day Ax Killer, Luther Dremel.

Axes and Os

But this isn’t just another masked slasher story. When one of the girls undergoes a shocking transformation, the hunted becomes the hunter, and a brutal showdown erupts that turns the holiday of love into a full-on survival nightmare—a literal fight to the death.

A Cast Packed With Genre Favorites and Rising Stars

Axes and Os features horror icon Jamie Bernadette alongside rising star Cass Huckabay, who won two Best Actress awards during the film’s festival run. Madison M. Bowman and Sara Wimmer round out the ensemble, delivering both laughs and scares designed to appeal to a wide range of genre fans. Brandon Krum brings terrifying intensity as the relentless Axeman, Luther Dremel.

IMAGE: Jamie Bernadette as Abby in Axes and Os.

A Fresh Spin on Slasher Tradition

While Axes and Os pays tribute to classic slashers, it flips the formula with a creature-feature twist that sets it apart from typical holiday horror fare. Think traditional masked killer meets monstrous transformation—romance colliding with rage, friendship colliding with fear. The film blends humor, gore, and heart, striking a tone somewhere between Ready or Not, The Final Girls, and classic ’80s slashers—while still delivering modern indie edge.

IMAGE: Madison M. Bowman as Olivia, in Axes and Os.

A Festival Darling With 11 Award Wins

During its festival run, Axes and Os quickly became a standout on the indie horror circuit, bringing home 11 awards, including six Best Feature Film wins, three Best Director awards, and two Best Actress awards for Cass Huckabay. Notable wins include The Freak Show horror film festival, Spooky Empire Horror Film Festival, and the Nashville horror film festival.

IMAGE: LtoR. Producer Joe O’Connor, Actress Cass Huckabay, writer/director

The film’s mix of genre-bending horror, strong performances, and crowd-pleasing tone earned praise from festival juries and audiences alike, helping build early buzz ahead of its streaming release.

Why Horror Fans Should Care

Holiday slashers are having a moment again, but Axes and Os brings something rare: a true genre mashup with a female-driven cast, festival pedigree, and a killer premise that doesn’t play it safe.

With festival awards, strong early audience reactions, and a bold creature-driven finale, Axes and Os is poised to become a cult favorite for Valentine’s Day horror marathons.

Now Streaming

Axes and Os is now available to stream on Prime Video and Screamify

Love is in the air. So is the blood.

Four females on a Galentine’s weekend are hunted by legendary ax murderer LutherDremel, until one female turns out to be something otherworldly and battles the iconic axeman.

[This is a sponsored article]