La Chiesa (The Church) (Cathedral of Demons)

La Chiesa (The Church) (Cathedral of Demons) (1989)

  • 67% of critics liked it
    (9 reviews)

  • 45% of users liked it
    (2,338 ratings)

Originally intended as the third chapter in producer Dario Argento's Demons trilogy, La Chiesa stands alone as an effective horror film centering on a haunted cathedral with a violent past. The church's history begins in Medieval Italy, when the Knights Templar massacred an entire village of… More

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In Theaters
Mar 10, 1989 Wide
Hemdale Home Video

Critic Reviews

  • Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum

    Even when the film gets slow, it's nearly impossible to turn away and risk missing the next beautifully framed shot.

  • Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

    Interesting effort from Soavi who came into his own with Cemetery Man.

  • Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

    I don't know what YOU generally look for in a horror flick, but unless it's "talking and lots of it" I'd stay far away from this one.

  • James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

    Sovai doesn't settle for the easy, opting instead for a more oblique and suggestive, rather than graphic, approach to the material

  • Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine

    There is no denying the dreaminess of Soavi's stream-of-consciousness horror show.

Read all 6 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Jeff "


    The Church was originally going to be part of the Demons series, but it ended up being a totally different film altogether. Directed by Argento protégé. Michele Soavi, The Church is a horror film that relies effectively well on atmosphere to create terror. The film is very stylish,… More

  • Steve K


    Very much an 80's Italian horror film. A little less gore, perhaps. A little long in the tooth.

  • Lee ?


    A nice slice of Italian horror from the tail end of its golden years about a Demonic plague which is unleashed from the pit of a Church is modern day Germany. This was meant to be an official sequel to Lamberto Bava's 'Demons 2' but it didn't turn out that way,… More

  • Robert C


    Everything that I love (and dislike) about Italian horror. I love the premise of the film, which is that "The Church" is an ancient machine designed to (literally) collapse in upon itself at a moments notice destroying all who have sought shelter inside in various… More

  • Conner R


    Aside from it's essential viewing for the sake of the Demons franchise, this has very little to offer in terms of being a horror movie. The only thing that is worthwhile is the amazing 10 minute opening with the crusaders completely slaughtering an entire town and building a… More

Read all 10 featured audience ratings

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