The fundamentalist section of the Latter-day Saints is an unsettling gift for documentarians and filmmakers, and with justifiable cause. Convicted cases of abuse and extreme behaviour are common, and present them as more akin to a cult than a religious group. And Diabolic, a new film from Daniel J. Phillips, leans into that element.
Elise (Elizabeth Cullen) is a former member of the church, wholly traumatised by her experience and suffering from terrifying blackouts. Her therapist suggests that Elise – for reasons not entirely clear – returns to her roots for an extreme form of exposure therapy in order to confront the source of her nightmare.
On face value Diabolic is a perfectly functional religious horror. There are quirky, hysteria-heavy fanatics who may or may not have Elise’s best interests at heart, and flashbacks that slowly reveal the source of the evil and the reasons for her abrupt departure from the group. And there’s some genuinely disturbing imagery, albeit some moments feel lifted from an entirely different film altogether.
The cinematography is solid, with the film given a washed-out, almost Southern Gothic feel, and the cast does a decent job with a script that at times veers a little too close to parody.
And yet, Diabolic doesn’t quite rise above the average. Recent films such as Heretic (2024) and Immaculate (2024) brought something new and interesting to the subgenre, pushing the boundaries of discomfort and challenging the viewer. Diabolic comes across more like a list of specific plot points woven into a manageable script: creepy, witch-like monster… check! Undertone of sexual tension… got it!
A decent, if sadly largely forgettable entry.
