Two married couples embark on a getaway in a tricked-out camper and while parked across the lake from what appears to be hippie revelers, the husbands witness a full-blown satanic ritual, including nude participants and the sacrifice of a nubile young woman. The cultists notice that they have been observed, and it's off to the titular races, with intent as lethal as the witnessed human sacrifice.
RACE WITH THE DEVIL is one of the more original examples of the fallout from THE EXORCIST two years prior, and believe me there was a deluge of "devil junk" from all over the world in its wake. This one's a serviceable little thriller-cum-car chase actioner with a supernatural angle, fronted by Peter Fonda, my man Warren Oates, and Loretta Swit (in what be her most prominent role outside of the long-running M.A.S.H teevee series), but despite the clear and present menace of the satanists (and damned near everyone that the heroes encounter after being seen by the coven), it's tepid enough to be indistinguishable from several of the made-for-TV horror flicks of that era, and nowhere near as scary as some of the stronger examples. (For instance TRILOGY OF TERROR, DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK, and of course THE NIGHT STALKER.) It's worth a look, and once it's clear that our protagonists are facing a no-win situation, the ending thankfully does not cop out. Bottom line: it's a strong concept that only halfway lives up to its considerable potential. This one cries out for an R-rated remake.
Poster for the theatrical release.
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