Hail Satan?

2019

91 mins

Directed by Penny Lane
96%
85%
Documentary

Documentary tracing the emergence of America's Satanic Temple, six years old and challenging established religious norms across the country.

"What kind... More

Documentary tracing the emergence of America's Satanic Temple, six years old and challenging established religious norms across the country.

"What kind of religious expression should be permitted in a secular nation? Holy hell, something is brewing! Just a few years old, the Satanic Temple has risen from the depths to become one of the most controversial religious movements in American history. Hail Satan? bears witness as the temple evolves from a small-scale media stunt to an internationally recognized religion with hundreds of thousands of adherents. Naked bodies writhe with snakes on altars as protesters storm the gates of state capitols across the country. Through their dogged campaign to place a nine-foot, bronze Satanic monument smack dab next to the statue of the Ten Commandments on the Arkansas State Capitol lawn, the leaders of the temple force us to consider the true meaning of the separation of church and state." (Sundance Film Festival)

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Where to watch Hail Satan?

Hail Satan? is available to stream in New Zealand now... More on YouTube and Google TV and DocPlay and Apple TV Store and Academy On Demand and AroVision.

There is no screening information for this title.

Hail Satan? | Ratings & Reviews

96_%133 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes® rating
85_%434 reviews
Audience score rating

"Lane's film asks us: Is this not only what democracy looks like, but what religion looks like?"

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Vulture

"Lane sets out to subvert American history with intelligence and wit. Here, she asks us to question why certain religions are deemed "normal," even though, notes one Temple member, Catholic mass is all about the symbolic drinking of blood."

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Variety

"Religious plurality is a cornerstone of constitutional freedom, and sometimes it takes a protester wearing Day-Glo-pink horns to remind us of that."

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Time Out

"[An] unexpectedly amiable documentary..."

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Screen Daily

"Boasting wild archival clips and a 7-foot Baphomet statue with a goat head and an Iggy Pop torso, "Hail Satan?" could easily be taken for the impish spawn of Michael Moore and Kenneth Anger."

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Los Angeles Times

"Wickedly funny, fascinating and niftily made, this crowd-pleaser will reign at festivals and prove, yet again, that the devil always has the best tunes."

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Hollywood Reporter

"Penny Lane's documentary is incredibly entertaining for the first 20 minutes but becomes a slog as it misses more interesting questions about The Satanic Temple."

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