Film Review — "Hail Satan?"

Oh shit, you guys, I think I’m… a Satanist? I’ve never really thought of myself as religious—not as an adult, anyway—but Hail Satan? has me wondering if maybe I could be. 

Oftentimes among queer folks, if religion is brought up in conversation, you usually hear phrasing like, “Were you raised religious?” as opposed to, “Are you religious?” And there’s a distinct difference there. For generations, religion has been weaponized so as to belittle, torment, and oust queer youngsters, both closeted and out. 

This corruption of faith has permeated our culture so thoroughly that evangelicalism has been a major player in our politics for decades now; there’s practically an entire party dedicated to it. And that’s where the modern Satanic Temple comes in. 

To be honest, I started watching Hail Satan? because I had just finished a movie in which Men of God use creed as a tool to destroy—and sometimes even end—the lives of accused sinners (also known as innocent people), so once those credits started rolling, I ran in the opposite direction. A lively embrace of Satan!

Well, not technically. As the documentary will make clear, The Satanic Temple is non-theistic—they do not actually worship Satan, as right-wing media would have you believe. So, no sacrificing of cute little babies, or goats, to a Dark Lord. In fact, the Temple’s first Tenet reads, “One should strive to act with compassion and empathy towards all creatures in accordance with reason.”

Today, The Satanic Temple is an advocacy organization. What began as a trolling apparatus has gained traction to the point of having a branch in almost every corner of the country. Also, notably, the Temple is not anti-Christianity. Nor are they anti-Judaism, anti-Buddhism, anti-Islam, etc. They are merely pro-religious plurality; they disagree with the notion that America ought to be a “Christian Nation,” as many in power want.

Sometimes this fight takes Temple figurehead Lucien Greaves straight to the belly of the Christian fundamentalist beast: Fox News. Watching footage of interviewers, like Megyn Kelly, try to wrap their minds around the concept of a church dedicated to the rebel Satan and conduct a civil, nonjudgemental interview is… priceless. Hail Satan? manages to be quite funny at times, and Fox is a delightfully ignorant unintentional contributor to the devilish humor. 

I have not seen any of Penny Lane’s other documentaries, but now I feel like I have to. Her lens is incredibly… human. Going into this film, I expected it to just be a standard history of a faith and organization—and, frankly, that’s all I needed it to be at the time—but Hail Satan? ended up being so much more. Hail Satan? is an energetic, warm, and thought-provoking labor of love, much like the group it documents.  

A lot of queer people will undoubtedly see themselves among this group. I know I did. Perhaps one of the reasons I never saw myself as religious growing up is because I didn’t think I belonged anywhere. Even when I was closeted—and not being honest with myself about who I was—I guess I inherently knew that most religious congregations would not be entirely welcoming to a person like me, so I paid faith little mind.

The Satanic Temple, however, feels different. A group bound not by a deity but by action. A religion that values science, justice, and bodily autonomy. A faith that understands that people make mistakes—and that mistakes are places of learning. They’re also fond of nudity. All things considered, they seem like my kind of people. 

Again, I’m not sure if I’m a Satanist, but Hail Satan? really had me questioning my role in the world and my relationship with faith. So… Hail Satan?