Diabolic (2025) - Film Review

Film Details

Director: Daniel J. Phillips

Run Time: 1hr 35m

Cast: Elizabeth Cullen, Mia Challis, John Harlan Kim, Luca Sardelis, Genevieve Mooy, Robin Goldsworthy

Synopsis

After experiencing traumatic blackouts a woman returns to the fundamentalist compound where she was raised in a last attempt to reclaim her sanity.

My Review

Diabolic draws upon the real life experiences of co-writer Ticia Madson’s time growing up in the fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints, creating an eerie creep fest full of intrigue and mystery. The film leans into the usual genre tropes that accompany a religious horror such as this but the blend of fiction and non-fiction worked really nicely, capturing your attention from the outset. Underneath the supernatural hauntings are some pretty powerful themes like religious trauma and sexuality, woven into the plot organically, providing the much needed substance that elevates the film above your usual surface level horror flick. Despite being set in America, Diabolic is actually an Australian indie film and it has certainly sparked an interest to explore more films coming out of the country, making it a perfect addition to my physical media collection.

Out now on Blu-Ray and digital.

My Rating: 6 out of 10

Thanks for reading.

Film Review Club