Film

The Devil's Rejects

Name: The Devil's Rejects
Genre: Drama, Horror, Crime
Released: 2005
Cast: Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie, William Forsythe, Ken Foree

A relentless pursuit film where a psychopathic family on the run collides with an equally unhinged lawman. Rob Zombie's direction is visceral and propulsive, mixing exploitation sensibilities with genuine filmmaking craft. It's brutal, darkly funny, and committed to moral ambiguity—not a comfortable watch, but a gripping one for those ready for real ugliness.

TMDb rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like horror that plays like a bruised road movie, where the hard-bitten, grimy charm of its outlaw characters pulls you along even as you recoil from them.

Skip it if you need characters to root for or a story that stays clean of cruelty, since its violence is relentless, ugly and often played for a grim kind of showmanship.

What it asks of you: It runs about 111 minutes and mostly stays on the move, shifting between ragged chases and long stretches of talk, with a harsh, unsentimental tone throughout.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Natural Born Killers1994

Oliver Stone's lovers-on-the-run rampage that inspired Zombie's approach: stylish, violent, and invested in making killers charismatic while showing the cost of that charisma. Media satire wrapped around genuine danger.

But Stone's direction can feel dated and over-the-top now; the social commentary sometimes overwhelms the story itself.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre1974

The foundational backwoods horror film that Zombie learned from. Raw, documentary-style brutality that influenced everything about Rejects' aesthetic. Essential viewing to understand the lineage.

But Technically rougher than you might expect; the reputation sometimes overshadows what's actually on screen. Some find the pacing slack.

The Killer Inside Me2010

Casey Affleck as a small-town cop hiding a murderous nature beneath folksy charm. Same DNA as Sheriff Wydell—the corruption of authority itself becoming the real horror.

But Deliberately uncomfortable with its violence; feels clinical rather than cathartic. Long stretches of quiet tension might feel like nothing's happening.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Devil's Rejects

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Sunset Boulevard1950

Both films are obsessed with showing how charismatic people—Spaulding, Otis, Baby versus Norma Desmond—make evil functional through sheer force of personality. Both argue that the real horror isn't monsters, it's people who believe their own myths.

Billy Wilder's masterpiece about delusion, entitlement, and the violence underneath Hollywood glamour. Like Rejects, it's a morality tale disguised as entertainment—everyone here is guilty, the law is complicit, and charm masks rot.

But A character study in black and white from 1950; glacially paced by modern standards. Requires patience and engagement with dialogue over action.

Kalifornia1993

David Duchovny and Brad Pitt on a cross-country road trip with a serial killer. Captures that claustrophobic dread of being trapped with the wrong people in close quarters, with nowhere to run.

But Paced more slowly than Rejects; relies on character friction rather than kinetic action. Feels dated in some ways now.

The Devil's Due2014

Found-footage possession film that earns its brutality through genuine tension and practical effects. Zombie sensibilities without Zombie making it—body horror that lands hard.

But The found-footage framing will frustrate purists; climax divides viewers on whether it pays off the setup.

Manson1973

Documentary that treats its subject with chilling evenhandedness, finding the logic in madness. The Firefly family echoes cult psychology—charismatic evil that makes its own sense to believers.

But A real documentary about a real crime; if you're sensitive to that material, this hits different than fiction. Slow-burn, not entertainment-paced.

House of 1000 Corpses2003

Zombie's first feature—the spiritual prequel to Rejects. More playful but equally committed to making horror violent and real. The Firefly family's origin; understanding this film deepens Rejects.

But Less focused than its sequel; jumps between tones more wildly. Some find it indulgent; others find that part of the charm.

Nightcrawler2014

Jake Gyllenhaal as an amoral striver willing to cross any line. Same exploration of how charisma and ruthlessness can coexist; how evil wears a functional face in the real world.

But Slower burn than Rejects; more psychologically subtle. If you want constant tension and action, this is patient observation instead.

Come and See1985

Both films refuse to let violence be cool. Both argue that the viewer complicit in watching is part of the moral problem. Both use visual excess not to thrill but to sicken and implicate.

A Soviet war film that shows violence as consequence rather than spectacle—the slow obliteration of a boy's humanity during WWII. If you want to understand how Rejects works, this is the masterclass in making brutality felt rather than enjoyed.

But Relentlessly bleak and harrowing; not a film you enjoy so much as endure and survive. The final sequence is designed to traumatize. Real artistic difficulty, not entertainment.

Funny Games1997

Both films make you uncomfortable about your own investment in the violence. Rejects does it through viscera and charisma; Funny Games does it through restraint and direct address. Same moral argument, opposite methods.

Michael Haneke's locked-room nightmare where a family is terrorized by polite, articulate killers. Like Rejects, it interrogates why we watch violence and who we root for. Genuinely disturbing in ways that linger.

But Deliberately punishing; Haneke breaks the fourth wall to confront your complicity. If you came for entertainment, you'll feel attacked. Some viewers find it pretentious rather than profound.