Overview
A young girl’s extraordinary gift unravels family secrets in a world where magic and reality intertwine.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- eerie
- dreamy
- intimate
- arthouse film night
- quiet evening
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's intoxicating magical realism and genre-fluid emotional ambition, while some found its many supernatural elements overextended and its depiction of Black characters lacking agency and authenticity.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Vicky's hyperacute sense of smell lets her detect people, memories, and tensions that her family leaves unspoken.
Vicky's scent-based power opens a magical route into secrets from Joanne and Julia's past.
The family home and surrounding landscape become charged with magical and emotional danger after Julia returns.
Julia's lesbian relationship and its suppression are central to the resurfacing past.
Films like The Five Devils, and why
The Shining
magical realism, childhood perception, and a troubled family history intertwine through an eerie supernatural premise
Petite Maman
emotionally intimate fantasy, nonlinear family secrets, and a young protagonist navigating adult trauma
Personal Shopper
surreal domestic drama using fantasy to explore maternal bonds, identity, and buried emotional pain
Thelma
genre fluidity, queer themes, and heightened psychological drama shaped by uncanny supernatural elements
Movie Details
- Director
- Léa Mysius
- Release Date
- 2022-08-31
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (235)
Cast
- Adèle Exarchopoulos
- Sally Dramé
- Swala Emati
- Moustapha Mbengue
- Daphné Patakia
- Patrick Bouchitey
- Hugo Dillon
- Antonia Buresi
- Noée Abita
- Charlotte Bon Bornier
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Five Devils about?
- A scent-sensitive eight-year-old uncovers the magical and painful history binding her mother to a returning aunt.
- What is The Five Devils like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Five Devils as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Five Devils violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Five Devils as mild.
- What did critics think of The Five Devils?
- Critics broadly praised the film's intoxicating magical realism and genre-fluid emotional ambition, while some found its many supernatural elements overextended and its depiction of Black characters lacking agency and authenticity.
- Which films are like The Five Devils?
- Films with a similar feel include The Shining, Petite Maman, Personal Shopper, and Thelma.
- How long is The Five Devils?
- The Five Devils runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Five Devils?
- In United States, The Five Devils streams on MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel.
