

“God forgives... evil doesn't.”
Ten years after being excommunicated from a fundamentalist Mormon (FLDS) community where she was raised, Elise (Elizabeth Cullen) struggles with blackouts and uncontrollable episodes, haunted by dark gaps in her memory. On her psychiatrist's advice, she returns to the abandoned settlement where she grew up, seeking healing and the recovery of her lost memories. Accompanied by her boyfriend Adam (John Kim) and best friend Gwen (Mia Challis), they seek help from Hyrum (Robin Goldsworthy) and Alma (Genevieve Mooy), the last remaining members in the area. The healing ritual they conduct doesn't unlock Elise's repressed memories but something far more terrifying: the vengeful spirit of a cursed witch named Larue. Now free, this malevolent entity engages in a relentless struggle to possess Elise's body, reclaim her power, and exact revenge on everyone who wronged her in the past .
What if the place you return to confront your traumas becomes a trap set by a centuries-old witch seeking to possess you? Diabolic pulls you into its unsettling atmosphere by asking exactly that. This Australian horror film grounds its terror in the real rituals of the FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints), including practices like 'baptism for the dead,' proving that fiction can indeed be scarier than reality . While the story feels familiar at first, director Daniel J. Phillips masterfully takes it in unexpected directions. Elizabeth Cullen's ('Elvis') performance as Elise is so authentic—charting her journey from fragility to fury—that you feel her fear and fight alongside her . One of the film's most striking aspects is its seamless blend of CGI and practical effects, creating surreal and deeply unsettling moments . A particularly disturbing extraction scene and the tangible physicality of the witch Larue will divide audiences but remain undeniably effective. If you appreciated how films like The First Omen or The Exorcist explored oppressive religious structures and control over the female body, brace yourself for the brutality awaiting you in the finale . With its unforgettable and vicious final act, Diabolic promises a horror experience that will linger long after the credits roll .
Sign in to write a review
Sign In