Cult Horror Movie Quentin Tarantino Says Is “F-ed Up in a Big Way” Is Streaming Free on Tubi & Plex
As a horror fan, there are few things more satisfying than a blind buy paying off, or digging up some random title from the ninth level of streaming hell that ends up being absolutely killer. If you, too, find yourself eternally thirsting for dusty hidden gems buried by the sands of time, put down that niche Letterboxd list, because today, Quentin Tarantino has got you covered.
Proving that he is, in fact, an eternal student of cinema, Tarantino revealed during a PaleyFest panel Q&A that he recently stumbled across a film that blew his mind so much, he now recommends every horror devotee add it to their Halloween watchlist. The movie in question that Tarantino pointed listeners toward is a chaotic shocker from the 1970s called Devil Times Five, also known as Peopletoys or The Horrible House on the Hill. And, you know the deep cut is real when a film has at least one, if not more, alternate titles you might find it listed under.
So what is Devil Times Five actually about? A true snow-horror drive-in nightmare, this 1974 movie follows a bus filled with kids from a nearby psychiatric hospital that crashes, killing everyone except four of the kids and Sister Hannah, an accompanying nun. Seeking shelter, the motley crew breaks into a lakeside lodge where a group of wealthy adults are vacationing. With their friends mysteriously disappearing one by one, the adults find themselves questioning how innocent these wayward kids really are. And for good reason. These kids are bad. Real bad.
However, it is this mix of slasher sleaze and exploitation execution that Tarantino digs, and he didn’t sugarcoat his reaction. Quentin Tarantino stated in the Q&A, “[Devil Times Five is] terrific and it’s really fucked up in a big way, but that’s what makes it great. It blew me away. I’ve heard about it forever, because it played the drive-in circuit on the lower half of double features for years. Finally, I watched it, and I was like, Wow, this is terrific!”
We would be remiss not to also mention the movie’s cast, which includes some familiar faces like Joan McCall (Grizzly), Taylor Lacher (Mr. Majestyk), Shelley Morrison (Troop Beverly Hills), and a young Leif Garrett (The Outsiders). Tarantino even made a special point to highlight his admiration for Garrett’s performance as the ringleader of the killer kids, saying, “Leif Garrett gives an amazing performance in this film.” Considering Garrett was barely a teenager at the time, that endorsement carries some serious weight.
If Tarantino’s tip convinces you to press play, expect a movie that’s equal parts unnerving violence and killer kid silliness. The type of film that’s impossible to forget once seen, Devil Times Five is exactly the kind of “fucked up” treasure that’s worth digging up. Check out the trailer below!
Devil Times Five is currently available to stream on Tubi, Plex, and CultPix. And for you physical media peeps, a beautiful, boutique blu-ray is also available via the good folks over at Vinegar Syndrome.
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