Writer Paul Baxter (likable William Sylvestor) and his newfound model girlfriend Karin (ravishing redhead beauty Tracy Reed) meet elegant French aristocrat Arman du Moliere (a supremely suave and sinister portrayal by Hubert Noel) while vacationing in rural Brittany. Moliere turns out to be a vampire who abducts Karin so she can be a human sacrifice for the Satanic cult that he's the leader of. Director Lance Comfort, working from a nifty and inspired script by Lyn Fairhurst, relates the compelling story at a steady pace, ably creates a creepy atmosphere, and offers a strong evocation of the remote rustic region. The solid acting from a sturdy cast rates as another substantial plus: Sylvestor and Noel are fine in the leads, with good support from Carole Gray as lusty gypsy Tania, Diana Decker as perky socialite Madeleine Braun, Peter Illing as the huffy, yet laid-back Inspector Illing, and Victor Brooks as the helpful, hard-nosed Inspector Hardwick. Reginald H. Wyer's vibrant cinematography, Bernie Fenton's spooky'n'shuddery score, and the rousing conclusion all further enhance the entertainment value of this enjoyable 60's fright feature.

I enjoyed the movie immensely. I had wanted to see it since I was a kid having read about it in SHRIEK! a short lived British horror movie mag.so, 35 years later I finally get to see it and I was not disappointed. It's not a great film, but it certainly shines above many of the horror films that were churned out during the same era (a la Blood of the Vampire 1958). The atmosphere and mood of the film is just right. The only truly annoying thing about the film to me was the beatnik-style music.Yes, it is a Hammer knockoff, but it was one of the better ones. (Even the later Hammer films were "Hammer knockoffs.")I say give it a chance! If you don't you will not know what you are missing.

This is basically a Hammer Films knock-off, in terms of set decoration and production design. The result is a nice-looking movie with a muddled, incoherent story, weak acting, and limp direction. It's not exactly excruciating to sit through, but it's one of those films that makes you feel you could be doing something better with your time.The plot is a mixture of vampire and devil worship, and although there are one or two good moments, there's not enough substance to make it particularly interesting.If you're fond of campy/cheesy B-picture horror, you might want to give this one a look, but I wouldn't put it at the top of your list.

Devils of Darkness has a promising sounding title, it's British and it has the typical 60's gothic theme. Yet, it quickly got ignored over the years and it's rarely ever mentioned. Probably because it wasn't made by either of the 3 biggest production companies in that time. The Brit horror industry was ruled by Hammer, Amicus or Tigon and (almost) all their production received cult followings and critics attention. Of course, that can't be the only reason because a good film would be remembered no matter who produced it. Devils of Darkness is anonymous in all fields… Not one aspect in the entire film is worth remembering. It mixes vampirism with other occult elements. A satanic cult, led by Count Sinistre, kidnaps innocent people in order to sacrifice them. An author tries to reveal the secrets and comes into contact with the leader. Devils of Darkness has an extremely promising opening sequence (even before the credits are presented) and the hope you'll see a intriguing occult horror film is falsely raised. After the atmospheric opening, the film quickly falls into boredom with endless speeches and tedious characters. The tension is pretty much non-existent and the few promising horror sequences are too succinct. The beautifully shot cult rites seem to be inspired by Roger Corman's the Masque of the Red Death, but still they're the only sequences worth mentioning. The cast isn't very spectacular, neither. Carol Gray is worth a mention since her beauty reminded me about the typical Hammer sirens. Hubert Noël, the bad guy with a dreadful French accent, is too untalented to make the film memorable and so is director Lance Comfort.