The Devil's Hand (2014) User Reviews (28)

Would probably have worked better taking a more dramatic approach

[Seth_Rogue_One · 5/10 · 19 February 2016]

I went in to this movie not really thinking it would be all great, Jennifer Carpenter (from TV's Dexter) was the swing-vote why I decided to go ahead with it.

However she was not really why I kept interest, cause frankly she wasn't that great in this one.

Luckily the other cast was slightly better, no Academy award winning performances or anything but decent enough.

I went in to it thinking it would be a horror, and even though the beginning of the movie does fall in line with that and there are horror elements that pop out from time to time in the movie I'd say it's first and foremost a drama.

And even though the horror segments are neatly orchestrated it often just don't feel like it's from the same movie sometimes, characters who at one point are shook up can in the next minute be going on their business like nothing happened, so yeah uneven direction for sure.

It's almost as if someone wrote a somewhat realistic day to day script what life in a cult would be like and then some big shots told someone else to re-write it to a horror instead so they just cut and pasted some horror segments into the script where it could fit.

And the ending is pretty awful.

5/10

Nice setup, shame about the execution

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 21 March 2016]

WHERE THE DEVIL HIDES is a modern-day horror flick with at least a different setup to the usual one: it's set in a remote religious community, which feels very Amish in style (but isn't). A fire-and-brimstone preacher keeps the locals in line until a series of brutal murders leads some to believe that there's evil in the midst.

Sadly, despite the difference of the setup, the execution of WHERE THE DEVIL HIDES turns out to be entirely humdrum. Everything that happens has been done better elsewhere, and it's all very choreographed and unexciting. One of the worst things about this film is the look, which is all dark colours and shadows; in other words, like 99% of other modern horror flicks that try to be atmospheric.

Even worse, WHERE THE DEVIL HIDES manages to waste the talents of a pair of decent cast members, Rufus Sewell and Colm Meaney, by having them not do very much at all. Jennifer Carpenter (of QUARANTINE fame) also has a role. In the end, though, this one's a struggle to sit through because it's so slow and predictable, and it's still as forgettable as all the others.

Nasty Little Horror Flick

[larrys3 · 6/10 · 18 December 2014]

I saw this film in redbox and figured I'd give it a try, with very little expectations. I was surprised that it turned out to be a nasty little horror flick that kept me engaged throughout wondering how it would all turn out, right up to its' rather shocking and surprise ending.

The plot centers around the prophecy that if six girls are born on the sixth day in the sixth month, when they reach their 18th birthday, only one will remain and she will be the Drommelkind, or the Devil's hand.

In the Amish commune of New Bethlehem, in 1988, this is exactly what is happening, and that night the senior Elder Beacon, portrayed by the fine veteran actor Colm Meaney, fears the prophecy and wants to kill all six baby girls. However, he's prevented fro doing this by one of the girl's fathers (Rufus Sewell), although one mother apparently deliberately kills her newborn that night leaving five girls.

Flash forward 18 years, where the five teens, who have become good friends over the years, are nearing their 18th birthday in New Bethlehem. They have been suspiciously eyed by the community ever since the night of their birth.

As the time nears whether the prophecy will be fulfilled, bloody mayhem and murder begins in the town, with one by one of the teens being murdered, while some desperate parents of the girls commit suicide trying to save their daughters from becoming the Drommelkind. Elder Beacon begins to be suspected by some as actually committing these murders, as well as sexually molesting the teens in his "special examinations" to see if the Devil has invaded their bodies.

This will all spiral down into a chilling and rather shocking ending, that I really didn't see coming. If you're expecting all the pieces to fall neatly into place, in the B-movie type, you'll probably be disappointed, but if you can go with the flow you'll probably enjoy it more.

The movie is directed by Christian E. Christiansen with a screenplay by Karl Mueller.

All in all, this horror film was better than I anticipated and kept me engrossed and guessing to the end.

The Ending Ruined Whatever Potential There Was For This Movie

[sddavis63 · 2/10 · 24 July 2015]

OK. It wasn't horrible. That's meant as a compliment because I was pretty much expecting it to be horrible. Now, I'm not saying it was wonderful, or good or anything like that. Let's not get crazy. It's a weak horror movie with a silly story. Six girls are born on the sixth day of the sixth month in some type of isolated religious community called New Bethlehem - a community led by (or lorded over by) Elder Beacon, played by Colm Meaney, who was certainly the most recognizable face in this. Beacon prophesies that one of them will turn out to be the devil incarnate, and which one it is will be the only one left by the time the girls turn 18. Sure enough, as their 18th birthday approaches, the girls begin to disappear. What's happening? Is the prophecy real? Is the devil really working through one of these girls? Or is Beacon the true evil one?

It's watchable pretty much all the way through. But in the end, it disappoints. As long as you believe that Beacon is evil and responsible for everything, then you actually have not just a cheap sort of horror movie, but an actually believable (in an exaggerated sort of way) look at the potential dangers of these isolated religious communities whose lives revolve around the decisions of a single charismatic leader, whose hold on the community is so strong that he can do pretty much whatever he wants. Meaney was good in the role. He took it seriously and seemed to capture the inner workings of Beacon. This would have been OK - not great, but OK - if that had been the outcome of the movie: a community that eventually rebels against an evil demagogue. But, alas, that wasn't the decision.

It had to end on a supernatural note. I won't go into much detail. I don't want to spoil the twist too much - but Beacon (evil, religious, charismatic demagogue though he was) really wasn't responsible. He actually turned out to be right! The devil was responsible - and he wasn't the one the devil was working through! That threw me. Disappointed me. Discombobulated me. Upset me. How else can I put it? The end took a movie that I had been prepared to promote to a few degrees above silly (because I thought it really had offered a decent look at the potential abuses in such a community) and it just became silly again. And that's the thought that lingers in my mind after watching this. Too bad. There was potential for better. (2/10)

Seen a better version of this before.

[chrismackey1972 · 3/10 · 9 October 2014]

It starts out in a community where electricity is not used. One might think it's an Amish community, but none of the men have beards, so go figure. Anyway, six baby girls are born on the 6th day of the 6th month - 666. Elder Beacon (Colm Meany) considers that to be a bad omen, and he goes to kill them, but he is stopped by Jacob (Rufus Sewell). However, one of the mothers kills her child and then slits her own throat. Fast forward 18 years when the 5 remaining girls are bathing in a lake. While doing so, a naked man jumps into the lake causing the girls to get out. However, one of the girls - Mary (Alycia Debnam Carey) - has a seizure, and Trevor (Thomas McDonnell) jumps in, swims over, pulls her out and gives her CPR. When Mary gets home, she goes into the chicken coop, which looks more like a crawl space, and somebody with a black glove and a scythe tries to grab her. She breaks away and runs through the woods until she comes to an old, decayed well, which she crawls down to hide. There's more to this scene, but I won't spoil it.

The next day, Elder Beacon informs the community that one of the girls - Hannah - has gone missing. The four remaining girls decide that regardless of the community's rules, they have to look for their friend. However, that night, Elder Beacon insists that the girls are nowhere to be found because they're conspiring with Satan against the community. Yeah, he still wants to kill them. That night, while looking for Hannah, another of the girls - Abigail - goes missing. The next day, Trevor goes to the community and tells Mary one of his friends is also missing. That night, Jacob tells Mary about the prophecy regarding the 6-born girls. On their 18th birthday, only one would remain, and she would become the Devil's Hand, hence the movie title, even though they've changed it like twice already. lol.

There is nudity in this. As mentioned, a naked man swings into a lake, and his butt is shown. Mary is made to strip in the church for Elder Beacon, and her butt is shown (maybe it was a body double, but it was still a nude butt).

I gave this movie a 3-star rating because parts of it were VERY dark, making it hard to make out what was happening. I don't like it when they do that. It wasn't original, and the storyline wasn't especially intriguing. The acting was pretty good, but the movie didn't keep my interest, and the ending was...silly.

Boring, Uneventful, Slow, And Pretty Painful

[dfa120374 · 2/10 · 20 January 2015]

The elders of an Amish-type community are in fear of an ancient evil prophecy coming true when six girls are all born at the same time....on the sixth day of the sixth month. The prophecy states that one of the girls born will become the "Devil's Hand". 18 years later, the girls have all grown up together as friends, but when one of them starts to have horrific visions, suspicion starts to arise that she may be the "Devil's Hand" and the prophecy may be coming true.

The Devil's Hand is, well, how can I say this? BORING! I know that's not a very ingenious way of putting it, but it gets straight to the point I think. This is basically an 86-minute snoozefest from start to finish, and never once does it get tense, suspenseful, scary, or frightening. In fact, the film comes across more as a kind of teenie drama instead of a satanic horror/thriller, especially when one of the girl characters befriends an "outsider's" son. Then it becomes more of a :::gag::: love story.

The plot is unimaginative and unoriginal, and really apart from the ending, which does have a nice wee twist, it's all rather predictable. On paper the cast is quite decent, but unfortunately the majority of their performances are about as wooden as Pinocchio. You don't feel any affinity towards any of the characters either, and - like me - you may actually find yourself not giving a damn on who lives and who dies.

I know a lot of the parts are supposed to be subdued due to the type of community the characters are from, but even taking that into consideration, they are still well below par. Colm Meaney is over-the-top as Elder Beacon, and instead of coming across as menacing, he just succeeds in being annoying, melodramatic, and sleazy. Jennifer Carpenter isn't too bad, though, and she does play a perfect b*tch for her role.

All in all, The Devil's Hand is really one of those films that you will see once and then never give it a second thought. Definitely one to avoid & forget to be honest.

A surprisingly good horror movie that deals with one of the scariest things of all, evil done in the name of God.

[cosmo_tiger · 7/10 · 5 November 2014]

"6 girls born on the 6th day of the 6th month. Their 18th birthday is approaching. 1 will emerge." When the 18th birthday of the daughters of Jacob Brown (Sewell) and others in a quaint Amish town approaches things become uneasy. One of the town's leaders and elder Beacon (Meaney) recounts a prophecy about the devil coming to the village. He fears that these girls are the reason for the happenings and begins to do anything he can to stop the prophecy from coming true. The girls on the other hand have a different story to tell. Going in I was expecting yet another cheesy low budget horror movie. I was surprised at how much I liked this. Without trying to start something I do think that religion in the hands of the wrong people is very dangerous and this movie is an example of why I feel that way. The best part of the movie though is that it stays one step ahead of you and you never really feel comfortable with what you are seeing. That is the sign of a good movie to me, one that keeps you guessing at the same time you are becoming angry at what you are seeing. Overall, a surprisingly good horror movie that deals with one of the scariest things of all, evil done in the name of God. I give this a B+.

Terrible

[ashley_june21 · 5/10 · 15 August 2016]

My gods! Was it terrible. Too cliché and generic. It's more hilarious than terrifying. But if you're into one of those moods when you just want to watch terrible horror movies, this would do great. I mean do get those moods. Unfortunately, I didn't watch this movie on those moods. BUT! I did get to see Alycia Debnam-Carey's butt though, so...I'm giving it 5 points for that. :P Good thing I love ADC. This movie stained the reputation of my small flower child! She's too adorable in this movie though. That is the only reason I watched the whole film, but if ADC wasn't there. I would have been done 20 minutes into it.

A good horror film that could've been amazing.

[jasona911 · 6/10 · 21 January 2015]

"Six girls are born on the sixth day, of the six month, which is told to complete a prophecy in which one of them will cause the fall of the world. To protect her cursed child, a mother murders her and kills herself in the process. Now all grown up, the girls are being picked off one by one while one of them named 'Mary' begins to have horrifying visions. Is this the work of the devil or of the abusive elders that rule over the community?"

The Devil's Hand is one of those films that I desperately try to enjoy but find myself so conflicted because it is ruined by one of the most frivolous endings of all time. The set-up is good and the film definitely has some great scares, but it is watered down in violence, masked by a ridiculous teen romance sub-plot, and has two VERY weak actors. I honestly really find myself deciphering how to feel because there are some scenes that are AMAZING and show social commentary on topics like religion, murder, and isolated communities. Then the ending comes around, and it lets all of that to rot and becomes full on supernatural. At the end, it turns out that Mary's mother who was shunned for belief that she practiced witchcraft, had personally desired her daughter to be "The Devil's Hand". Mary is soon overcome with the evil, killing her boyfriend and goes to New Bethelem, destroying everything in the process. Then, in a full on bloodbath, she brutally murders the elders. It's just so...silly. Especially her final line.

Anyways, it's very upsetting that this was such a huge let down. I'm sure if they kept the ending out and changed it, it would have been great.

you ain't gonna believe me when i say that it wasn't that bad !!

[shendyz · 5/10 · 13 March 2015]

to start it out,i was going to the theater and i was like oh my god what um doing to myself why did i decide to go and watch such a movie,i expected to watch the same stupid and trash horror movies that i've been watching for years but it turned out the movie wasn't that bad,the production and directing were a bit weak though.. i know that this is a kind of movie that u will not remember as soon as you get out from the theater and probably you won't even want to remember anything about it but the movie has it's entertaining moments that u will be able to enjoy if you cleared your mind of the negative thoughts that you've been holding since you heard about this movie..

I honestly didn't think it would be THAT GOOD!

[dikaea · 8/10 · 16 May 2016]

This movie caught my attention cause of Alycia Debnam Carey and I am not embarrassed to say it!!

Then, being a huge fan of thrillers I thought I would give it a shot. And I was very pleasantly surprised!

A thriller movie first and foremost has to have that eerie, spooky, unpleasant atmosphere that puts you in the mood of "something ain't right here... something must be not what it seems like...". And it succeeded!

Production wise it is just fine. Not a lot of fuss about things that don't' need a lot of fuss. The actors were each good casting for their roles. And Alycia... Ooh man oooh man..That girl can really act and I hope that she makes good choices cause she really does have IT!

Now, this I have to say: The "Trevor" character is the same actor that played Finn in "THE 100". I will not spoil for those of you that haven't seen the movie yet... but this dude is one of the luckiest/unluckiest characters on earth!!!!!!!! Both "Lexa" and "Clarke" man!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? BOTH OF THEM!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

The movie is filled with allegories and symbolism. Very nicely done guys. The whole story and how it ended was as it should have been done to make it worthwhile. Sometimes payback is not "a bitch"... IT IS THE DEVIL HIM/HERSELF!

Seen before, but still a decent little flick with a familair cast

[aronharde · 6/10 · 18 November 2023]

Let's start off by saying this movie does not reinvent the wheel and I don't think it tries. However I thought the story was compelling and the characters were entertaining enough to make me immerse in the story. You have some familiar faces with well-known actors and they are doing a great job depicting their characters whether they are good or evil. You have some gnarly kills and some decent gore that also enhances the watching experience. The overall story has been done before but I think the execution was fine and as soon as I started watching the movie I pretty much guessed the end so you might find it predictable. While this is certainly no masterpiece I think that if the plot summary sounds interesting to you, you should give it a try and see for yourself. [5,7/10]

Nice face, shame about the ...

[begob · 4/10 · 17 April 2015]

Prophecy stalks a religious community. The fools! Or are they?

Strong theme and good acting, but the story is rubbish - a disapproving rant about irrational behaviour, yet the end is beyond irrational. No problem with criticism of religious faith, but this was so obviously a caricature that I couldn't believe it, and the final reveal felt cheap. I think it's a case of being so contradictory that you end up agreeing.

The story telling is weak - gaping gaps in the logic, plus several scenes you have to excuse just to keep up with events. It does look great, although the music is too busy. And so coy about the sex and violence - I understand the need to meet standards, but this was disgustingly tame.

There is a saving grace, thanks to the actors. Colm Meany had a cheesy role, but the actresses were beautiful and intense. Pity the story didn't allow them to take over.

I want to say better than average, but nah, just average.

[leewebb6051 · 5/10 · 18 March 2015]

This movie had some promising elements and very good production value. Despite what seems to be a modest budget, the lighting and technical aspects of the filmmaking on display here are all pretty top notch. The young female leads are also pretty strong and the fundamental idea behind the story seems like solid starting point.

Unfortunately, there's really not many more positive things I can think to add. The way the story unfolds is completely predictable and not even slightly interesting on any level. It's pretty much the same old same old that you see in any "powers of the devil"-type horror movie. No new ground is broken.

And while the movie is far from being terrible, it's just as far away from being good and ends up as a textbook example of genre mediocrity.

An Amish Horror movie?

[stitching7570 · 3/10 · 10 June 2018]

Oh brother. If this is about the Amish, why don't any of the men have beards??? Not horrible but not good either. Find another movie to watch.

I'm very torn about this.

[martabarovier · 4/10 · 8 November 2021]

I'm very torn about this. The idea and the beginning are pretty good, but I expected more mystery and action throughout the film. The poster spoils the ending, and it could be the reason why I was expecting the big reveal to happen earlier in the story rather than in the last 5 minutes.

The hooded figure that goes around killing people is simply too goofy to be scary, and in general the atmosphere is not tense enough. Plus, I'm no expert but I don't think it's a good representation of an Amish community.

I think the acting - I'm looking at you Alycia Debnam-Carey and Jennifer Carpenter - and the ending are what carry this film. I ended up sympathising for the devil!

Side note: weird seeing Alycia Debnam-Carey and Thomas McDonell on screen together again, hehe.

The devil has his ways.

[michaelRokeefe · 5/10 · 14 March 2017]

In an Amish-like community six girls are born on the sixth day of the sixth month and the local leader, Elder Beacon (Colm Meaney), reminds the townsfolk of the prophecy that before the girls turn 18; they will all disappear except the one remaining will be a strong soldier for the devil. Beacon makes no attempt to hide the fact that he wants the girls gone. When the girls near 18...they begin to vanish; fear of prophecy causes paranoia and civil unrest.

Strange story line leads to an overpowering finale. Not the best acting in the world; but for sure, the Elder Beacon character seems to get farther and farther away from God.

Other players: Alycia Debnam-Cary, Thomas McDonell, Ric Reitz, Leah Pipes, Adelaide Kane, Katie Garfield, Nicole Elliott, Rufus Sewell, Stacy Edwards, Jennifer Carpenter, Jim McKeny and Jon Stafford.

Hold this glass of water

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 24 February 2018]

The beginning of the film opens with a quick prophecy that isn't on the screen very long. It predicts the child of Satan will be a woman known as the "Drommelkind." After that the film opens in 6/6/1994 as six different women of the "New Bethlehem Community" all give birth to girls. Elder Beacon (Colm Meaney) wants to kill all of them. He is stopped.

Five of the girls survive and become inseparable friends as they are under the watchful eye of the community which speak in whispers behind their backs. This is an Amish style community, separated from the world. As the girls approach their 18th birthday, killings and suicides crank up, although nothing supernatural.

The film changes gears about 4 minutes from the end...so keep watching. Not much in the way of horror. While people are killed, the camera is shy.

Parental Guide: No swearing. There is some minor male/female butt nudity. Girl forced to disrobe and is touched...discreet camera angels. Implied sex.

Better then expected

[muffinduffin · 8/10 · 12 October 2014]

This movie is exactly what I bet goes on in those freak brain-washed Amish communities. Get away with murder- literally in the name of GOD.

6 girls are born on 6/6/94 in a small Amish community, so the legend says 6 girls born on the 6th month 6th day that on their 18th b-day one will be left & she will be the devil. fast forward 18 years & their whole life people been trying to kill them- well they die alright but u gotta see it.

I didn't expect much with this no name low budget film. I was impressed. The acting was real good & the story believable. You will never guess who the killer is.

Ending made me smile. worth the watch

Unusual

[Paulldavidson · 3/10 · 23 June 2022]

Starts in 1994 6 babies are born one of the mother's kills her baby then herself. 18 years later presumably 2012 more like 1812 the way they dress and not to mention a civilization that hasn't yet discovered the wheel star treks cheif o brien is a deeply religious man who is very strict its like the omen meets little house on the prairie.

Yeah sure

[blumdeluxe · 4/10 · 15 January 2019]

"Where the Devil Hides" tells the story of a small religious village, in which a prophecy exists that under certain circumstances, a new-born girl will grow up to become the devil one day. As this day moves closer, more and more of the possible candidates go missing, leaving behind a struggled and seperated community.

Would this have been a film about the struggled life of teenage girls in a strictly religious community, it could have been a decent film. However, producers preferred to film a strange mixture of occultism, character drama, teenage romance and horror. Some aspects of the plot don't make sense (why should a man in such opposition to everything the village stands for still live there and marry one of the strictest believers?) and are never even topic of discussions. What really ruined it for me though was the end that is just a copy of your average nonsense horror movie.

All in all this is nothing special. It creates quite a nice atmosphere with the village and its religious community but fails to leave a lasting impression.

Um research?

[kateelysiahultgren · 1/10 · 12 March 2018]

Did anyone involved with this project do any research of Amish communities? This was as Amish as I am. I'm Agnostics. Terrible

Movie Is Really Good

[gabrleonard · 9/10 · 24 December 2019]

THIS WASNT MEANT TO BE A SLASHER FLICK this was meant to be a psychological thriller and it didn't waste time with unimportant events. People went into this movie expecting horror and they didn't get it so they label it a bad movie. It's meant to be a movie that makes you think not just you watching blood get spilled for a whole movie. The point of the movie is to make you think who the killer is, who is really the crazy people (the ones thinking they are Devil's hand or the ones thinking they arent), and other things like that. Don't go into the movie with slasher movie expectations. Horror movies can be so many different things. And if you don't have generic horror movie expectations you won't be dissapointed.

The production is decent and the plot line is nice. It doesn't waste people for no reason and instead focuses on the people that are ALIVE. Unlike other movies that spend their time complaining about the people that got killed. It gives the characters backstories but not pointless information you don't need. Sure it can be labeled as simple but it can also be labeled as smart because it keeps you focused on the conflict of the story instead of people that haven't been introduced getting killed solely for the purpose of spilling blood. It's not over the top and sometimes you need that.

Lastly, the ending is awesome. Won't say anything besides that it really shows you can feel a certain way about a character and still feel the same way when they do something completely against what they've done the whole movie.

Call it predictable but it's like Romeo and Juliet (the play not the modernized meaning of the couple) it tells you basically how it's going to end from the beginning but still keeps you interested by providing information about the characters and twists that keep you intrigued.

This movie isn't the greatest I've seen but it's by no means terrible.

Good and solid film.

[fredschepers · 8/10 · 18 March 2016]

I've learned not to rely too much on reviews. Most reviews/critics are based on a personal view. Your own opinion reflected in the way you experience a film. "Where The devil Hides" is such a film. Me? I only recognized one actor in it and unfortunately for me I couldn't get rid of the feeling that I was looking at an actor. Where all the other actors and actresses were characters in a story, that was a bit of a let down.

I found it a good solid thriller. The Amish community is a community one could say is a bit weird, basically because we (assuming your non- Amish) do not live the Amish life style. They are not 24/7 on TV. So coming with a thriller in such community leaves enough space for imagination.

Good story, good acting and a surprising end. Just the way you want it. I found it better then what the description tells you. If you speak of the devil, you find most fear in people who believe in God. This thriller's ingredients: Suspense, murder, mystery, and the other side.

Worth an 8 since I didn't sat on the edge of the seat. But it kept me captivated.

I loved it...

creepy but good

[AnneLouise1997 · 8/10 · 24 March 2015]

I really got shivers form this movie, mostly because those girls grow up in a town like this, it just creeps me out to see how deep these people are into this community and there is like.. no way out of there. i also like that the movie doesn't wait with the bad stuff to happen, they just start right of with murder, which i personally really like. this movie may seem like it is predictable but something unexpected happened at the end, which i also like very much.i really enjoyed watching this movie, it scared me and gave me shivers down my spine but not specifically by the whole devil thing, like i said before the way these people live just goes beyond me. good job! a real good movie for a night full of shivers