Black Sabbath
Mario Bava’s vivid horror triptych turns telephone threats, vampire folklore, and a stolen corpse ring into a gallery of fatal supernatural nightmares.
Overview
Three chilling tales intertwine in a night of terror, where the past haunts the present.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- eerie
- foreboding
- macabre
- classic horror night
- gothic cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film's striking pictorial atmosphere and suspenseful supernatural storytelling, while noting uneven segments, dubbing, and occasionally blunt direction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film presents three separate tales introduced as a connected program, each using a different supernatural premise.
Bava emphasizes vivid hues, heavy interiors, sudden zooms, and shock cuts across the gothic stories.
The phone threat, vampire curse, and revenant encounter all build toward inescapable consequences.
A telephone, a corpse's ring, and the preparation of a medium's body become central conduits of fear.
Films like Black Sabbath, and why
Tales from the Crypt
classic anthology horror built from tightly structured supernatural tales and escalating suspense
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
stylized gothic anthology horror with macabre twists, atmospheric interiors, and supernatural threats
The Whip and the Body
influential Italian gothic horror featuring vampires, fatalism, ornate visual design, and dread-filled atmosphere
Kwaidan
anthology supernatural horror distinguished by strong atmosphere, visual composition, and unsettling short-form narratives
Movie Details
- Director
- Mario Bava
- Release Date
- 1963-08-17
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (497)
Cast
- Boris Karloff
- Mark Damon
- Michèle Mercier
- Susy Andersen
- Lidia Alfonsi
- Jacqueline Pierreux
- Glauco Onorato
- Massimo Righi
- Rika Dialyna
- Milo Quesada
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, Night Flight Plus, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, ScreenPix Amazon Channel , Artiflix
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Black Sabbath about?
- Mario Bava’s vivid horror triptych turns telephone threats, vampire folklore, and a stolen corpse ring into a gallery of fatal supernatural nightmares.
- What is Black Sabbath like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Black Sabbath as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Black Sabbath violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Black Sabbath as graphic.
- What did critics think of Black Sabbath?
- Critics broadly praise the film's striking pictorial atmosphere and suspenseful supernatural storytelling, while noting uneven segments, dubbing, and occasionally blunt direction.
- Which films are like Black Sabbath?
- Films with a similar feel include Tales from the Crypt, Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, The Whip and the Body, and Kwaidan.
- How long is Black Sabbath?
- Black Sabbath runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch Black Sabbath?
- In United States, Black Sabbath streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, Night Flight Plus, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, ScreenPix Amazon Channel , Artiflix.
