Quaint Satanism in the British countryside from director Norman J. Warren. Satan's Slave opens with an occult ritual, complete with men in robes and masks and a naked woman being sacrificed for some unknown purpose. The main plot focuses on a young woman who becomes stranded at her uncle's mansion after her parents were killed in an explosion resulting from a minor car crash. The film is ever so languidly paced, with the bulk of the action focusing on Candace Glendenning as she gets acquainted with the house and grounds and strikes up a romance with her nefarious cousin. Despite the fact that not a lot is going on for the most part, the film hits a nice rhythm and manages to stay intetesting. The atmosphere is solid with a tinge of psychadelia, while the film features flashes of blood and plenty of full frontal nudity. Michael Gough is good as the sinister uncle who obviously has some kind of design on his traumatised niece. The film falls down a little through a lack of imagination in the script. After meandering for about an hour, the whole plot is basically just explained. I love the whole necromancy angle, but it's not explored in any real depth. It does manage to finish on a high though, despite teasing a massive cop out. Ultimately, Satan's Slave is a film that's a bit better than the sum of its parts.
