a very very very very silly movie. i have owned this on tape for years (a young lady i was very sweet on was (well she probably still is) passionate on horror films, especially argento did me a copy of it, but i digress...)

the plot, such as it is,... (read more) a very very very very silly movie. i have owned this on tape for years (a young lady i was very sweet on was (well she probably still is) passionate on horror films, especially argento did me a copy of it, but i digress...)

the plot, such as it is, involves a satanic cult waiting for the birth of the son of satan. herbet lom manages to get run down by the the mum-to-be, which is lucky as he is the leader of the sect.
he puts a bug up her nose, she goes a bit wonky, lom fakes his death, she goes even more wonky, she gets dunked in water, gives births, kills the baby and lom, but she is saved. end of story.

it does have a nice face pulling off scene. it does have a nasty bunny in it, there are one or two nice visuals (mainly the well).

all in all a bit of a lightweight horror, and not at all gory compared with the films of today. which says a lot about us really.

it is worth a look.

Soavi is one of my fave directors and this film is a very solid effort,with strong influences from his mentor/producer Argento

Stylish demonic thriller with some beautiful visual flourishes from Soavi. The Sect doesn't wallow is gore and concentrates more on atmosphere and mood, of which it has lots. Kelly Curtis(yes, Jamie Lee's sister) gives an impressive and likeable perf... (read more) Stylish demonic thriller with some beautiful visual flourishes from Soavi. The Sect doesn't wallow is gore and concentrates more on atmosphere and mood, of which it has lots. Kelly Curtis(yes, Jamie Lee's sister) gives an impressive and likeable performance as Miriam, a German schoolteacher who gets dragged down the rabbit hole so to speak. The Sect is mostly an exercise style over substance, but the dread filled mood of the film keeps it going at a nice pace for its nearly two hour length. You'll leave asking many questions, but that seems to be the intention. There's lots to love here and there are also a few great suspense sequences and a couple of jump out of your seat moments as well.

Fans of Euro horror, Dario Argento, or Michele Soavi should not miss this one!!!

It could have been the sequel to Argento's "Inferno" - the films share many generic similarities (& architecture). Not for the untrained gothic horror viewer.

Coming just after his "other" Gothic horror film, "The Church", Michele Soavi's 1991 film "The Sect" shares so many similarities with the aforementioned film that comparisons between the two are unavoidable.

Just like "The Church", this film was co-... (read more) Coming just after his "other" Gothic horror film, "The Church", Michele Soavi's 1991 film "The Sect" shares so many similarities with the aforementioned film that comparisons between the two are unavoidable.

Just like "The Church", this film was co-written and produced by Dario Argento, and the Italian Master of Horror's influence can be clearly seen, from the hypnotic visuals to the rather tepid story.

"The Church" was essentially an exercise in style, trying to craft stunning sequences of horror that literally entrance the viewer with its staggering visuals. However, in doing that, Soavi and Argento abandon any remnant and coherency of a story, utilizing a vague outline in order to simply stage their expertly constructed sequences - the result is a beautiful yet unsatisfying film.

With "The Sect", it appears that Soavi and Argento had learned from that experience and decided to establish a stronger storyline as a foundation for the visuals to build off of. Though certainly stronger than "The Church", "The Sect" is still a rather weak narrative, with some elements lifted directly from "Rosemary's Baby" that makes it seem all the more routine and simplistic.

The film also suffers from a rather risible nature. The reason for this is that story elements and some visual features are so over-the-top, thus unintentional laughter is provoked as the film takes itself way to seriously. That is probably why Soavi's next film, "Cemetery Man", was so successful - Soavi knew the material was ludicrous and therefore played off that with humor and wit.

Despite all this, there is a rather strong sense of mystery that permeates through the film - more so than "The Church" - and the visuals are indeed some of the best crafted scenes in any horror film (but admittedly, not quite as stunning as "The Church").

So, in conclusion, the film is a recommended trip to those who love Gothic Euro-horror or simply love striking visuals. However, those who want an actual plot or more substance with their scares may wish to pass this.