For over half a century, Ken Russell’s The Devils was a film people argued about more than they could actually watch. Heavily cut on its 1971 release and never officially available in the form Russell intended, it has finally returned in a restored 4K director’s cut. Critics are celebrating it. Here’s the scorecard, what the reviews say, and where to see it.
Ken Russell’s The Devils critic scorecard
| Source | Score | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Rotten Tomatoes (critics) | 98% | Share of 40 critic reviews that are positive |
| Rotten Tomatoes (audience) | 93% | Popcornmeter from 250+ verified ratings |
| Metacritic | 58 | Weighted average of critic scores, 0 to 100 |
Scores are for the 2026 director’s cut restoration, as of October 26, 2026. They shift as reviews come in.
What’s new about this version
Warner Bros. restored the film from the original camera negative at its new specialty label, Warner Bros. Clockwork, which is releasing it as its first repertory title. The 114-minute cut is based on the edit Russell privately assembled in 2004 with his editor Michael Bradsell, working with critic Mark Kermode and Paul Joyce, and it runs about three minutes longer than earlier “uncut” versions. It restores material cut from the original release, including the long-censored “Rape of Christ” sequence.
It premiered at Cannes Classics in May, opened in North America on October 16 in a limited, one-week engagement at select theaters, and reached roughly $1.7 million that opening weekend, according to Inverse. It carries an NC-17 rating. UK and Ireland audiences can see it from October 30 through BFI Distribution.
What the major outlets thought
Verdicts below summarize each outlet’s individual review. They are not the overall critical consensus.
| Outlet | Critic | Verdict | The takeaway | Full review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Times | Jessica Kiang | Positive | Argues the film can be an “unapologetically maximalist” display of carnal excess and still be deeply moral, because Grandier’s sacrifice only means something against his own indulgences. | Read ↗ |
| Vulture | Bilge Ebiri | Positive | Says it looks like a science-fiction film, which gives it an “unnervingly timeless” quality. | Read ↗ |
| RogerEbert.com | Brian Tallerico | Positive | Says it’s “a lot of movie,” and that viewers can finally experience everything Russell wanted them to. His advice: see it in an arthouse. | Read ↗ |
| The Boston Globe | See review | Negative (1.5 stars) | Acknowledges the historical importance of a complete version, but says that doesn’t mean he has to like it. He didn’t care for it on earlier viewings, and the added footage didn’t change his mind. | Read ↗ |
More reviews worth reading
- Bloody Disgusting calls it Russell’s defining film, historically important and, more simply, a great movie. Read the review ↗
- Dread Central reviewed the NC-17 cut at Beyond Fest and calls it the definitive version of the film. Read the review ↗
- WBUR marvels that the unexpurgated cut is playing in multiplexes and argues the film may be more relevant now than in 1971. Read the review ↗
Where critics push back
With a 98% score, the dissent is thin, but it’s consistent with how the film has always divided people. When it first came out, many reviewers were disgusted by it, and some of today’s skeptics still feel its excess outruns its point. The Boston Globe’s lower rating comes from that camp: respect for the restoration, but little affection for the film itself. Even the film’s fans describe it as exhausting, graphic and often hard to watch, which is part of its reputation.
Quick facts
- Director: Ken Russell, who adapted Aldous Huxley’s The Devils of Loudun and John Whiting’s play
- Stars: Oliver Reed as Urbain Grandier and Vanessa Redgrave as Sister Jeanne
- Production design: Derek Jarman, in his feature film debut
- Rating: NC-17
- Runtime: 114 minutes
- Accolades: Best Director awards from the Venice International Film Festival and the U.S. National Board of Review, per Warner Bros.
Should you see it?
If you’re a horror or cult-film fan and you’ve only seen the cut-down versions, the reviews say this is the one to see, ideally on a big screen. It’s a violent, sexual and deliberately provocative film about religion, power and hysteria, so go in knowing the NC-17 is earned. Check local listings for the North American run and the BFI site for UK dates.
About these scores
The Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer is the percentage of professional reviews that are positive. The Metacritic Metascore is a weighted average on a 0 to 100 scale. They measure different things, and neither is a Heretic Circle rating. The scores here are for the 2026 restoration, and the 1971 original is listed separately on both sites. Last updated October 26, 2026.
Sources & further reading
- Rotten Tomatoes: Ken Russell’s The Devils (2026 restoration)
- Box Office Pro: Warner Bros. Clockwork announces the 4K release
- BFI: The Devils definitive 4K restoration and UK release
- Inverse: Mark Kermode interview and opening weekend
- Inverse: The Devils 4K restoration
- RogerEbert.com: Ken Russell’s The Devils review
- The Boston Globe: The Devils review
- Bloody Disgusting: The Devils review
- Dread Central: The Devils NC-17 director’s cut review
- WBUR: The Devils review