Film

To the Devil a Daughter

Name: To the Devil a Daughter
Genre: Horror
Released: 1976
Cast: Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Nastassja Kinski, Honor Blackman, Denholm Elliott

A 1976 occult thriller where an American writer tangles with a renegade priest's Satanic cult over a young girl's soul. It's genuinely unsettling in places, powered by Christopher Lee's menacing presence and Nastassja Kinski's vulnerability, though the pacing stutters and the logic occasionally frays. For horror fans who appreciate '70s atmosphere over modern jump-scares.

TMDb rating

2.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy old-fashioned Satanic-cult thrillers where dread accumulates through rituals, church politics and a skeptic's gradual unease, and you're happy with Hammer-era atmosphere over modern jolts.

Skip it if you need brisk pacing or a clear, satisfying story, since this one meanders through talky investigation scenes and its supernatural set pieces feel dated.

What it asks of you: At about ninety-five minutes, it settles in slowly, with long quiet stretches of dialogue and a build that rewards patience more than close tracking of plot logic.

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

If you liked this

The Exorcist1973

The definitive possession film: methodical, theologically grounded, and still terrifying. If you want to understand what To the Devil a Daughter was chasing, start here. Virtually every occult thriller owes it a debt.

But Nearly three hours long, and the horror is sustained psychological dread rather than constant action. Some find it dated; most find it patient and scarier for it.

The Omen1976

Released the same year, similarly pitting protective adults against supernatural evil with apocalyptic stakes. Superior pacing and a genuinely iconic score. Slicker and more propulsive than To the Devil, but with real menace.

But Leans heavily on omens and portents rather than character; can feel like watching dominoes fall rather than a living drama.

Suspiria1977

Another '70s horror masterpiece about infiltrating a sinister institution. Dario Argento's visual excess and Goblin's hypnotic score create an atmosphere that lingers for days. Pure sensory dread.

But Abstract and dreamlike rather than plot-driven. The story is almost secondary to the mood, which thrills some and frustrates others.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from To the Devil a Daughter

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Night of the Hunter1955

Both pit a charismatic, deceptive religious figure against the young and innocent. The preacher as monster, using faith as a weapon.

Charles Laughton's only directorial effort is an American Gothic masterpiece: a predatory preacher hunting children for hidden money. Expressionist, deeply evil, unforgettable. Robert Mitchum is terrifying.

But Black-and-white, 1950s pacing, and the horror is psychological rather than supernatural. Its power is in implication, which demands an attentive viewer.

The Wicker Man1973

A British occult thriller where Christian faith clashes with pagan ritual. Deeply unsettling, brilliantly constructed, and driven by ideas rather than gore. Britt Ekland and Christopher Lee are mesmerizing.

But Slow-burn and theatrical. The finale may feel more absurdist than horrifying, depending on your tolerance for folk horror weirdness.

Rosemary's Baby1968

The paranoia classic: a woman surrounded by cultists, her trust systematically eroded. Mia Farrow's performance is extraordinary, and the atmosphere of gaslighting dread is masterful. Influenced countless occult thrillers.

But Very '60s in pacing and style. Relies on suggestion and conversation rather than spectacle, which can feel slow if you want visceral scares.

The Devil’s Rain1975

A cult-led occult film with practical horror effects and real conviction in its premise. Earnest and weird, with better-than-you'd-expect craft. Sits in the same era as To the Devil with genuine supernatural ambition.

But Budget constraints show. The finale is intentionally grotesque rather than conventionally frightening, and the script has rough edges.

The Seventh Seal1957

Bergman's masterpiece pairs a knight with Death himself. Not a horror film in the modern sense, but deeply concerned with damnation, faith, and the supernatural. A meditation rather than a thriller, but unforgettable.

But Slow, philosophical, and in Swedish. If you want plot propulsion and scares, this is the opposite of that. It rewards patience with something richer.

Let's Scare Jessica to Death1971

A low-budget '70s gem where a fragile woman and her husband encounter something deeply wrong in a Connecticut farmhouse. The ambiguity—is it supernatural or psychological?—is its greatest strength. Eerie and intimate.

But Deliberately understated, which some read as underdeveloped. No big set pieces or revelations, just accumulating wrongness.

The Black Torment1964

A British Gothic horror with Satanic overtones and genuine creepiness. Lesser-known than it deserves, with strong atmosphere and a committed cast. Worth tracking down if you love '60s Gothic dread.

But British Gothic conventions may feel quaint now. The pacing is unhurried, and the budget shows in places.

Kill List2011

Both follow an ordinary man drawn into a world of organised occult evil that reshapes reality itself. The corruption spreads inward.

Ben Wheatley's British horror-thriller about a hitman taking a job that spirals into occult nightmare. Visceral, disorienting, and genuinely sickening. A modern folk horror classic that feels both intimate and apocalyptic.

But Brutally violent and deliberately obscure about its narrative. The ambiguity frustrates some; others find it essential. Also deeply bleak.