Diabolic
Diabolic (2025) is a supernatural horror film directed by Daniel J. Phillips, centering on Elise, a young woman grappling with trauma from her upbringing in a fringe sect of the Mormon church, the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS). The narrative follows Elise as she attempts a radical 'healing ceremony' involving hallucinogenic drugs, which inadvertently unleashes a vengeful witch spirit intent on possessing her. The film blends elements of religious horror with psychological tension and explores themes of trauma, repression, and the dark side of religious fundamentalism. It is noted for its intense gore, disturbing visuals, and a central 'queer coming of age' storyline. The movie is intended for mature audiences due to its graphic content and challenging themes.
Concerns
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
HighThe film explicitly features LGBTQ+ themes, with the protagonist Elise's queerness central to the narrative and her past experiences. Her 'queer coming of age' story is an explicit engine of the plot, connecting directly to her trauma and the witch's motivations. This content is not merely coded but directly addressed.
1. Elise's repressed memories, unlocked through therapy, reveal a past 'sexual relationship with the Bishop's daughter, Clara (Luca Asta Sardelis)' during her time in the FLDS community. 2. A review explicitly states, 'Diabolic is, very intentionally, a queer coming of age story. Not coded. Not implied. Explicit. Elise's queerness is central to her alienation from the compound and to the witch's fixation on her.'
Violence
HighThe film contains intense and graphic violence, particularly in its climactic moments, featuring explicit gore and brutal deaths. The violence is often presented with practical effects, enhancing its visceral impact.
1. The film includes 'bursts of gore' that 'land with unrestrained intensity, hitting their peak in the film's climactic final moments.' 2. The opening scene depicts a 'grim opening scene, where masked men surround a young girl being forced underwater in a dark ritualistic baptismal ceremony,' described as 'less like a scene and more like an assault' where 'faith becomes something actively violent.'
Witchcraft & Occult
HighWitchcraft and occult themes are central to the film's plot, involving a vengeful spirit, demonic possession, and a cursed witch. The narrative combines religious fundamentalism with dark magic.
1. The plot revolves around Elise confronting 'the vengeful spirit of a cursed witch, determined to claim her as a vessel for her evil power.' 2. A 'healing ceremony' performed by members of the FLDS church inadvertently 'unleashes the demonic spirit of a witch.'
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe movie is a horror film designed to be terrifying and unsettling, featuring intense scenes, graphic violence, and psychological dread. It utilizes both jump scares and a slow-burn atmosphere to create fear.
1. Reviewers describe the film as 'terrifying' and 'unsettling,' aiming to 'disturb and scare people.' 2. The movie employs 'James Wan style scares,' including 'quite loud scares' and 'creeping terror,' with one reviewer noting they 'screamed at the screen.'
Disrespect & Rebellion
HighThe film heavily features themes of disrespect and rebellion against strict religious authority, focusing on the protagonist's trauma from a fundamentalist cult and her efforts to escape or confront that past.
1. Elise is a 'former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints [FLDS]' who suffers 'undefined trauma' from her time in the church, and her story is about 'someone who escaped' from it. 2. The film portrays the FLDS as a 'rigorously constructed system of control that mirrors real world offshoot communities and survivor accounts,' highlighting 'gendered expectations, and the quiet violence of obedience,' which Elise is rebelling against.
Anti-Christian Themes
HighThe film explores critical perspectives on religious fundamentalism, specifically focusing on the FLDS church and portraying it as a source of trauma and control. It links religious extremism with dark occult practices and suggests that systems of belief can be inherently violent and hypocritical.
1. The director, Daniel J. Phillips, stated his view on 'innate hypocrisy involved in those cults and organised religions,' suggesting they 'leave themselves open to the possibilities of horror to come forth' and are 'perpetrators of horror.' 2. The film explicitly 'reframes baptism as horror' and the narrative suggests that 'messing with malignant souls and using dark magic feels even more evil under the guise of believing in an all-loving God,' while also framing Elise's queerness as powerful 'dangerous to systems built on control.'
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumThe movie includes explicit references to sexual relationships, both heterosexual and same-sex. The protagonist, Elise, is in a 'sexually strained' relationship with her boyfriend and has a significant past same-sex relationship.
1. Elise is currently in a 'sexually strained relationship with boyfriend Adam (John Kim).' 2. Elise's repressed memories include 'a sexual relationship with the Bishop's daughter, Clara (Luca Asta Sardelis).'
Profanity
MediumThe film contains strong profanity, with at least one instance of the 'f-word' noted in an informal review, suggesting the presence of offensive language during intense moments.
1. An informal reviewer describes a plot point by exclaiming, 'Are you fucking kidding me what the fuck are you talking about that's the dumbest shit I've ever heard that fucking.' 2. While specific quotes are limited in official reviews, the horror genre and intense subject matter strongly suggest the use of strong language to convey distress and heightened emotions.
Substance Use
MediumThe protagonist, Elise, knowingly consumes hallucinogenic drugs as part of a 'radical immersion therapy' intended to confront her trauma, which triggers the central supernatural events.
1. Elise 'consumes a hallucinogenic drug in the abandoned Baptistry where the opening scene took place a decade earlier.' 2. The use of 'powerful hallucinogens' is part of a 'healing ceremony' intended to help Elise deal with her trauma.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Not recommended for viewers under 18 years old. The film features graphic violence, intense gore, explicit LGBTQ+ themes and a past sexual relationship, hallucinogenic drug use, strong profanity, and disturbing religious content. Its Australian MA rating strongly suggests an equivalent R rating in the US, indicating content unsuitable for minors.
Additional Notes
The film is an Australian production with an MA rating, generally equivalent to an R rating in the US. While reviews praise lead actress Elizabeth Cullen's performance and the practical effects, some critique the pacing and plot consistency. The ending is described as brutal, with the antagonist Larue seemingly prospering and continuing murderous rituals, leaving a bleak outlook where evil can succeed when people ignore cruelty.
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