Satanic Panic

Abstract

Abstract This chapter explores the relationship between horror films and the Satanic Panic. It is generally acknowledged by historians that depictions of Satanism in horror films in the 1970s contributed to the Satanic Panic by familiarizing the public with images of Satanic cults and rituals. In particular, the phenomenon of “recovered memory” therapy led to many people recalling images from these films and mistaking them for repressed memories of Satanic ritual abuse. This chapter also examines how actual Satanists used horror films as a resource to design their own rituals and aesthetics. Finally, this chapter situates films about Satanism within a larger horror trope of “the religious other.” As such, it also considers “folk horror,” including such films as The Wicker Man.