Grade: B-
Synopsis: Two men (Christopher Lee and Leon Greene) discover their young friend has fallen in with a group of Satanists.
The Devil Rides Out is one of Hammer Film studios better efforts. The script by Richard Matheson starts out great. Christopher Lee chews up the scenery opposite an equally strong Charles Gray and the plot moves like gangbusters. Then, inexplicably, Lee disappears off on some errand and the movie begins to drag. Fortunately, Lee returns and the movie picks back up, only to drag again when he vanishes again before the finale. The net result is still a gain though, as when the movie’s on, it’s on.
Terence Fisher handles the action well, though while the production values are higher than the average Hammer film, the violence and gore are surprisingly low. This is unfortunate, particularly during the cult scenes, which could use more edge.
Bottom Line: An entertaining ride and tour-de-force performance for Christopher Lee. Recommended.
