Ken Russell’s ‘The Devils’ at 55: Why This 1971 Film About Mass Hysteria Is More Relevant Than Ever

Ken Russell's controversial 1971 film 'The Devils' is experiencing a critical reassessment, with many arguing it resonates more powerfully today than upon release. Based on Aldous Huxley's 'The Devils of Loudun' and starring Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave, the film depicts the 17th-century Loudun possessions, where a convent of nuns allegedly fell under demonic influence, leading to the execution of Urbain Grandier. Russell's unflinching portrayal of religious and political corruption, sexual hysteria, and the weaponization of fear was met with censorship and outrage at the time. Now, in an era of viral misinformation, culture wars, and resurgent authoritarianism, the film's themes of mass delusion and institutional abuse feel startlingly prescient. Its critique of how power exploits panic for control speaks directly to contemporary anxieties. 'The Devils' endures not just as a shock classic but as a prophetic warning about a world gone mad.