Written by: Sam Santiago

It seems that with most horror fans, when you mention Religious Horror, the titles always appear the same. The Exorcist. Maybe they drop The Omen. If they're feeling adventurous and know a thing or two about some great religious horror, they'll throw Stigmata or The Seventh Sign (we're definitely going to tackle this flick in a future VSN column) into the mix.

But in 1995, a movie landed on video store shelves that took all the rules of religious horror that we had seen in previous films. Remember, GOD is good in most films and cares deeply for his servants/followers. Well, this movie changes that by a lot! The old cults, the satanic black masses and other archaic rituals portrayed in many Hammer Horror films, the goodie-goodie angels here to save us? Yeah this film ripped them apart. That movie was The Prophecy.

Unlike last week's trip through giant mutant MOSQUITO territory (hope you cleaned off your shoes, it got gooey), this one hit a little differently. The first time we saw The Prophecy wasn't at Blockbuster or a video store from the local area. It wasn't on USA's "UP ALL NIGHT" that aired on basic cable. (An amazing program for insomniacs and kids with no parental supervision.) We found it while digging through our biker uncle's VHS collection while he was off drinking at the local watering hole. As any teenager left alone with a stack of horror movies, we started digging. Then we found it. That cover.

Christopher Walken staring out from the VHS box with one eye fixed directly on you. He didn't look scary...but he didn't look like a friend either. Walken has this pale, emotionless demanor on the cover that hangs like a hospital gown.  Like he knew something you didn't. (Remember that juicy line about when he told mankind a secret in the film? Great stuff. There was distrust in that look. Maybe even dread. Whatever it was, it pulled us in immediately.

You have to understand something. We grew up in a very strict religious household. Angels were real. Demons were real. Heaven was real. Hell was real. The bible itself was the bluprint for mankind and what joys, and punishments one would face all waiting to judge by a God who supposedly loves us so much. (Never understood that part, a loving God wants you toi burn for imperfect choices?)  At fourteen years old in 1997, these weren't movie concepts. These were things we genuinely believed existed. Up until then, most of our exposure to religion in movies came from things like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, All Dogs Go To Heaven and a few other made for tv movies you'd find while scrolling through channels on basic television. Yep, we were not allowed to watch ANY religious horror films because our very devout mother was once a fortune-telling, card reading, Ouija board user who snuck into see The Exorcist when she was 16. So we knew exactly what NOT to watch or we would be "corrupted by the world".  We knew who God was. We knew about faith. We knew the stories. So we wanted to know more!

What we didn't know was that a movie could suggest God's angels might not like humanity very much. They straight-up wanted us gone! That idea scared the hell out of us. (Pun absolutely intended.) We watched the film twice that week while our mother was off to work and everyone else in the home was doing their own thing. We snuck it off into our rooms and would sit next to the TV so as not to have the volume too loud to wake or bother the rest of the family in the home.  Truth be told, we didn't fully understand everything we were watching. The theological ideas flew right over our heads. The war in Heaven. Gabriel's jealousy. Humanity possesses something angels never could. We didn't dive into The Prophecy's deeper meanings until we started looking into Satanism and other religious alternatives as we got older.

After learning what we did from research and our own ventures into the Occult, and viewing The Prophecy as an adult, it's downright terrifying. The Prophecy asks a question most religious horror films never dare touch. What if the monsters weren't demons? What if they were angels?

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

WATCH THE TRAILER FOR THE PROPHECY BELOW

When a war among the angels spills onto Earth, former priest turned homicide detective Thomas Daggett(Elias Koteas) finds himself protecting schoolteacher Katherine Henley (Virginia Madsen) and a young Native American girl named Mary (Moriah 'Shining Dove' Snyder). Before long, it becomes clear that Gabriel has far more sinister plans for the child than simply ending her life. That's the basic idea but it's much deeper than all of that. The cast is an amazing group of actors, and we loved seeing Koteas play a serious role after discovering him earlier in the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie as Casey Jones. 

If you've seen The Prophecy, though, you already know who the real star of the show is.

CHRISTOPHER WALKEN'S GABRIEL IS NIGHTMARE FUEL

Christopher Walken's Gabriel remains one of the greatest supernatural villains of the 1990s. He isn't the glowing, compassionate messenger audiences have come to expect. He's bitter, resentful, and completely convinced that everything he's doing is justified. He whispers with purpose and his resentment for all humans can be seen from the very first flash we get of him on screen. 

Gregory Widen's script presents a fascinating idea. God favors humanity because people possess souls, something His angels can never have. To Gabriel, that's the ultimate betrayal. Humans are violent, selfish, and deeply flawed, yet they're still shown a love the angels have never received and as someone who grew up in the "church", this idea of wanting a fathers attention makes tons of sense. Kevin Smith kinda played with this idea in his film "DOGMA" but that was obviously more comedic but the idea that if God is wrong, then all things will be undone plays a part to this flick as well. 

Walken plays every scene with an eerie calm that makes Gabriel all the more unsettling. He never needs to shout or overplay the role. One moment, he's discussing scripture with complete composure, the next, he's ripping someone's heart from their chest without the slightest hesitation. That quiet confidence is exactly what makes the character so terrifying. If you pay attention, Walken sits like a bird in many scenes of the film. This was done on purpose as most birds are watchers of humanity right? So why wouldn't an angel "perch" himself somewhere and just observe? Walken isn't the only Angel in the film so watch for them to do this a few times. You barely notice it while watching but now that we've mentioned it, you wont forget to see it. Then there's the back and forth between Walken and fellow angel Simon (Eric Stoltz) is a master class in emphasis and acting in our opinion and you can check it out below. 

And then there's that line. The line that stuck with us like a suction cup on a slick wall. 

"I love you more than Jesus."

The first time I heard it as a kid, it completely stopped me. This wasn't a line said by just any Angel in the movie, either. Nearly thirty years later, it still feels like one of the boldest and most uncomfortable lines ever delivered in a horror film. A line so evil that it could only come from one entity, Satan himself. 

THE DEVIL YOU NEVER FORGET

As incredible as Walken is, he's matched by another unforgettable performance from a young Viggo Mortensen as Lucifer.

Long before The Lord of the Rings introduced him to the world as Aragorn, Mortensen delivered one of the most fascinating portrayals of the Devil ever put on screen. He's calm, almost sympathetic, and carries himself with the confidence of someone who knows exactly how every conversation is going to end. Every sentence is hissed out like the serpent his is. It's a fascinating performance. That approach makes him infinitely more unnerving than a screaming, fire and brimstone version of Satan ever could. Below you'll find the scene where Mortensen is introduced as Lucifer and we dare you not to be enthralled by his charm and seductive talk to Virginia Madsen.

His scenes opposite Walken are among the film's absolute best, building toward one of horror's most satisfying confrontations as Lucifer finally reminds Gabriel exactly where he belongs. It's brutal, grotesque, and exactly the ending Gabriel deserves.

A CAST THAT SELLS THE APOCALYPSE

The supporting cast deserves far more credit than they usually receive.

Virginia Madsen brings a warmth and humanity to Katherine that keeps the story grounded while Heaven tears itself apart around her. Moriah "Shining Dove" Snyder is equally impressive as Mary, giving the character a quiet wisdom that makes her feel far more important than simply another child caught in the middle of the conflict.

I also appreciate that the film doesn't reduce Mary's Native American heritage to a throwaway plot point. It hints at a different understanding of the spiritual world, suggesting some beliefs and traditions existed long before organized religion tried to explain the same mysteries. The movie never overexplains it, which honestly makes it even more effective. 

Even Gabriel's resurrected followers leave an impression. We couldn't help but feel bad for Jerry (Adam Goldberg) and later on Rachel (Amanda Plummer) for luterally being at rest and dead and then brought back just to die again. They're creepy, tragic figures that add another layer to the film's mythology, and horror fans certainly won't be disappointed by the grisly ways they meet their end. Jerry even says a brief "Thank You" when he is killed which gets us every time. 

WHERE TO WATCH

For years, The Prophecy was one of those movies horror fans were constantly trying to track down. The old Echo Bridge Blu ray was a welcome upgrade from VHS, but collectors finally got the release this film deserved when Vinegar Syndrome gave the original trilogy the 4K treatment.

Packed with new interviews, audio commentaries, and the outstanding documentary The War in Heaven: The Making of The Prophecy, it's easily the definitive edition and belongs on the shelf of anyone who appreciates cult horror. It took us awhile but we found one for a great price. It pays to hunt those rare releases folks. 

If physical media isn't your thing, the film is currently available to stream on Paramount+, though I'll always recommend owning this one if you get the chance. Considering the big news with SONY going away from physical games, we have a feeling physical films via dvd, blu-ray or 4k, might only be around for a few more years so get these titles while you can and legit OWN them. 

FINAL WORD

Looking back, I think that's why The Prophecy continues to resonate while so many supernatural thrillers from the '90s have slowly faded into obscurity. It wasn't trying to kick off a cinematic universe or tease half a dozen sequels before the credits rolled. It simply took a fascinating premise and followed it wherever it led.

What if angels weren't humanity's protectors? What if Heaven itself was divided? What if the beings closest to God were the ones we should fear the most?

Those ideas were enough to leave an impression on me when I first discovered this movie as a teenager digging through my uncle's VHS collection. Watching it again all these years later, they somehow feel even more unsettling.

Christopher Walken delivers one of horror's greatest villain performances. Viggo Mortensen gives us a version of Lucifer that's unlike anything before or since. Together, they elevate an already smart supernatural thriller into something horror fans are still talking about more than thirty years later.

We highly recommend you watch "THE PROPHECY" for a great Religious Horror Sunday watch. It's not overtly gory but the themes, acting, and premise will have you in disbelief and awe just like we were all those years ago when we first slipped it into our VHS player.