This article contains spoilers forDiablo 4.Diablo 4leans heavily into the series' cosmic horror theme with a story that revolves around the rise of the demon Lilith and her hedonistic cult. After finishing a playthrough, or while gearing up for another, players may want to watch a movie or two to stay in the mood. These cosmic horror films can scratch that otherworldly itch.
Although theDiablogames focus onthe war between demons and angels, cosmic horror covers everything from aliens to eldritch monsters. Staples of the genre include the summoning of ancient and powerful entities, sublime encounters with the unknown, and the discovery of esoteric cults. Of course, viewers will still find demons and devils in the following films, but they should expect a host of new and terrifying beings to contend with as well.
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The Ritual (2017)
Diablo 4draws upon Christian cosmology—i.e. demons, angels, etc.—for its cosmic elements. After a few playthroughs, players might begin to wonder whether anothera story built on a different mythosmight prove just as creepy. Horror fans looking for frights from an entirely different spiritual tradition need look no further thanThe Ritual(2017).
The Ritualfollows a group of friends on a backpacking trip through the Swedish wilderness. The death of one member of their group on a previous trip has cast a shadow over their plans, but the friends are determined to have a good time in his honor. Things quickly take a dangerous turn when one of the men, Dom (Sam Troughton), injures himself, forcing the hikers to brave the thick woods in order to reach civilization more quickly. They end up spending the night in an abandoned cabin, where they encounter a strange figurine that seems to demand worship.
Diablo 4fans can look forward to a story centered on cultists and an ancient power that hungers for human subjugation. Great performances, combined with a stunning wooded setting and competent special effects, make this movie a satisfying exemplar of"lost-in-the-woods" cosmic horror.
The Void (2016)
Players who loveDiablo 4’s focus on human cultists are spoiled for choice when it comes to this particular genre of film. Besides the genre’s otherworldly entities themselves, humans that have been affected by them in some way are often the most memorable aspects of cosmic horror. Madness, frenzy, obsession—the alien sublime can do a number of terrifying things to the people that bear witness.
The Void(2016) offers a veritable buffet of such cosmically-altered figures. When Sheriff Deputy Carter (Aaron Poole) stumbles upon a badly injured man and helps him into a nearby hospital, he must soon deal with a group of mysterious hooded figures gathered outside. Sudden onset insanity begins to spread among the hospital’s inhabitants, leading Carter to discovera portal to something sinisterhidden on the premises.
Ofthe game’s many unforgettable vignettes,Diablo 4’s Nevesk cutscene in the game’s prologue leaves one of the more lasting impressions. Watching the villagers tear into one of their own with the glee of a child opening a birthday present can evoke a unique sort of terror. Viewers may—with luck—walk away fromThe Voidwith a similar feeling of existential dread.
As Above, So Below (2014)
Speaking of cutscenes, the sequence that introduces players toDiablo 4also taps into a well-loved vein of cosmic horror: exploring ancient ruins and finding more than one bargains for. For those who love the idea of venturing deep below the Earth’s surface, translating dead languages, and tapping into long-dormant powers,As Above, So Below(2014) offers all of the above and more.
As Above, So Belowfollows Scarlett (Perdita Weeks), a scholar in search ofNicholas Flamel’s famed Philosopher’s Stone, and her friends George (Ben Feldman) and Benji (Edwin Hodge). The group embarks on an illegal expedition into the off-limits regions of the Catacombs of Paris. There, they hope to find the mythical stone, which according to legend grants immortality and immense power. What they uncover, of course, brings them face-to-face with occult forces that threaten to add them to the catacombs' storied bones.
Just as the men inDiablo 4’s opening cutscene fall one-by-one to the very entity they came to unleash, Scarlett and company suffer heavy casualties in their pursuit of the Philosopher’s Stone. Fans that enjoyed the scholar’s role in Lilith’s summoning will find a lot to love in Scarlett’s academic approach to the occult. Real-life scholars may likewise appreciateAs Above, So Below’s archaeological elements and historically informed mythology.
Hellraiser (1987)
The oldest film on this list may also be the most recognizable.Diablo 4has much in common withHellraiser(1987), especially with respect to Lilith’s predilection for manipulating human fancies. Players who like the game’s focus on demons and sinful desire will certainlyenjoyHellraiser’s iconic Cenobites.
Hellraisertells the twisted story of Julia (Clare Higgins), a woman whose deceased brother-in-law Frank (Sean Chapman) returns from the dead and demands that she help him restore his body through serial murder. Frank has just escaped a hell-like realm guarded by a race of demonic creatures called Cenobites. These entities torture mortals who desire to know the extremes of pain and pleasure, taking advantage of humanity’s most foolish desires.
The leader of the Cenobites,a character since dubbed Pinhead, famously describes his kind as “demons to some, angels to others.” This perfectly sums up the role of Lilith—and other cosmic figures inDiablo’s universe—in the lives of Sanctuary’s human residents. In fact,Diablo 4makes a nod to this connection by way of the Easter egg side quest, Unyielding Flesh.
Devil (2010)
The last film on this list presents perhaps the most obvious connection toDiablo 4, apparent even in its title. Players looking for more heaven-and-hell cosmic horror should check outDevil(2010), which boasts a story written by M. Night Shyamalan.
Devilfollows Detective Bowden (Chris Messina), who has been assigned to a mysterious suicide case in a Philadelphia skyscraper. When faced with the predicament of five people trapped in the elevator of that same building, however, he must work out which of them is secretly the Devil in disguise. As readers can probably deduce from that description of the film’s initial setup, viewers should expect aclassic Shyamalan twist ending.
Not only doDiabloandDevilshare virtually the same title, but they also both deal in the surreptitious nature of evil. The Devil could lurk inside anyone. Just as the people of Sanctuary never know who to trust amidst Lilith’s rise to power, the characters in this film offer up a delightfully anxious scenario defined by paranoid dis(and mis)trust.
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