The Demon
Il demonio
Purif is distraught when her lover is betrothed to another. When she summons the old ways to curse him, her erratic behavior is interpreted as demonic possession, and the villagers turn against her with physical and sexual violence.
Why it matters
A grim descent into folk horror that explores how superstition and misogyny can become a community’s deadliest curse.
- An unflinching look at female rage and the brutal consequences of patriarchal fear in a rural setting.
- Atmospheric, with stark black-and-white cinematography that evokes a timeless, oppressive dread.
- Early example of folk horror’s fascination with witchcraft as both empowerment and persecution.
- Not for the faint-hearted: its raw depiction of violence and societal cruelty remains unsettling decades later.
Director
2 horror films in catalog
Cast
Horror DNA
Gore
14
Slow Burn
33
Psychological
86
Supernatural
80
Creature
0
Disturbing
50
Fun Factor
0
Cerebral
71
Survival
0
Possession
