Cast a Deadly Spell1991
“Bullets! Demons! The end of the world! Can’t hold a man like this!”
Directed by Martin Campbell
On the charts
🏆 Won 1 Primetime Emmy. 1 win & 3 nominations total
The premise
In a fantastical 1940s where magic is used by everyone, a hard-boiled detective investigates the theft of a mystical tome.
Horror Vault's take
Set in a gloriously warped version of 1940s Los Angeles where every citizen casually dabbles in magic, this HBO noir-fantasy follows a wisecracking private eye who stubbornly refuses to use sorcery — making him uniquely dangerous in a world that runs on it. When a priceless and sinister grimoire goes missing, he's pulled into a labyrinthine underworld of gangsters, cultists, and creatures that shouldn't exist. Fred Ward brings gruff charisma to the lead while David Warner and Clancy Brown deliver scene-chewing turns as men with very dark ambitions. It's a love letter to Raymond Chandler filtered through H.P. Lovecraft, with a wicked sense of humor holding it all together.
Content: Mild Horror Violence, Creature Effects, Occult And Demon-Summoning Imagery, Brief Adult Content
Where to stream
Cast
Fred Ward
Det. Harry Philip Lovecraft
David Warner
Amos Hackshaw
Julianne Moore
Connie Stone
Clancy Brown
Harry Bordon
Alexandra Powers
Olivia Hackshaw
Charles Hallahan
Det. Morris Bradbury
Arnetia Walker
Hypolite Kropotkin
Raymond O'Connor
Tugwell
Peter Allas
Det. Otto Grimaldi
Lee Tergesen
Larry Willis / Lilly Sirwar
Becky Mullen
Amber Peru
Ritch Brinkley
Owl Wagon Manager
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