The violent, sexual, and religious content of director Ken Russell’s 1971 film The Devils has long made it one of the most controversial horror movies of them all. The film was banned in several countries and given an X rating here in America and the United Kingdom, resulting in a heavily edited version being released. It wasn’t all that long ago that some of that cut footage was unearthed, but the uncut version has been seldom seen over the years. You won’t find it on home video, and you’ll have a hard time tracking down ANY cut of the film on DVD or Blu-ray.
Enter Shudder.
The horror streaming service today added The Devils to their instant library, and believe it or not, it’s the unrated version of the film. This marks the very first time that the 109-minute unrated cut has been available in the United States since 1971. It’s the most complete version of the film in existence right now, and likely the most complete version there will ever be.
If you’re not yet signed up for Shudder, now may be a good time!
The film, set in 17th century France, stars Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed.
Father Grandier (Oliver Reed) is a priest whose unorthodox views on sex and religion influence a passionate following of nuns, including the sexually obsessed Sister Jeanne (Vanessa Redgrave). When the power-hungry Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Logue) realizes he must eliminate Grandier to gain control of France, Richelieu portrays Grandier as a satanist and spearheads a public outcry to destroy the once-loved priest’s reputation.