Lack of good storyline.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Two young girls become heavily inspired by the death & doom rhetorics of their local priest (and some private lecture) as they witness the false values at their Catholic girl school. They decide they belong to Satan and they will do his bidding in the upcoming summer vacation... Things get way out of hand, but it takes a while before they are actually in such big trouble that they themselves actually see no other way out than a theatrical suicide.'Mais ne nous...' is a bold and naughty film, though Jeanne Goupil and Catherine Wagener were respectively 21 and 19 years old at the time. Their acting may not always be flawless, but it comes across as spontaneous and sincere. Following these two teenage girls liberating themselves from social and religious chains, one will more than once feel uneasy at their unflinching manners, but still this a unique and creative little tale that ought to be seen by every emo, goth or other alternative human spirit out there today.9 out of 10.

I recently purchased this movie under the English title DON'T DELIVER US FROM EVIL to add to my growing collection of Euro-trash titles, thinking it was of the same ilk as the works of Jesus Franco and the like. While it does have some schlock elements, this movie is evidently based on a true story ("based" being the operative word, I'm sure) about two Catholic schoolgirls who decide, for whatever reason, to dedicate their lives to Satan. Overall, it's not a bad story, but it's an attempt at a tragic tale with very little sympathy being earned for the two protagonists.The two schoolgirls, Anne (Jeanne Goupil) and Lore (Catherine Wagener), begin this story in a convent, hiding under a bed. They've come across some lesbian erotica apparently owned by one or two nuns. I was sort of expecting there might be some softcore porn as time went on, but to no avail--and worry not, the two actresses playing these roles were actually around the age of twenty when this was filmed. They've dedicated their lives to the dark side of the force, and as the movie progresses, they continue doing some rather awful things to the people around them, including: telling a priest about the lesbian nuns, killing some poor guy's pet birds, and setting fire to several bails of hay on some farm. Probably the worst of it is their tendency to deliberately tempt two different men with their underage bodies, only to almost end up getting raped in the process; both of these scenes are somewhat difficult to watch. It is the two latter events that brings in the sleaze element to this movie, the second of which results in their killing the man in question. After this, things go pretty much downhill for the duo.The story itself isn't terrible, although it does drag on at times. The general design and the score do bring a certain aesthetic to the movie, but that might not be enough for some viewers. The ending is rather interesting, if not bizarre, as it does contain some laughable elements. Is it worth watching? Well, don't go in expecting something along the lines of gore and heavy nudity, and you might enjoy it. Sounds like Peter Jackson covered the story years later with HEAVENLY CREATURES, and I can only imagine he did a much better job with it. Maybe it's best to check out that version instead.

It's quite unbelievable that this film doesn't have a better reputation, as Joël Séria's Don't Deliver Us From Evil is an intricately worked little shocker that is sure to appeal to fans of European cinema. It's clear that the film was made in France, as the plotting, style and atmosphere of the movie is very French indeed, and this benefits the movie as it wallows in the imperfections of its lead characters; two sexy, yet underage convent school girls that decide to forsake God and take sides with The Devil. Both characters clearly have the urge to do evil already in them, but the way that director Joël Séria coaxes them into committing sinful acts is good because the characters are easy to care for; but their acts make them easy to detest; and as we all know - God hates the sin, not the sinner. The themes of straying from the moral acts that we've all been taught since birth shine through well, as the pair at the centre of the story are completely angelic, and on the face of it; look like butter wouldn't melt in their mouths. It can be said that the actual plotting isn't all that shocking; but everything in the film is made more so by the fact that it's stars are so young.The 'evil' that the young girls do involves reading forbidden material at first, and eventually moves on to teasing men, arson and murdering people's pets. Joël Séria doesn't shy away from featuring nudity in the film; and the pair of scenes that handle attempted rape don't leave much to the imagination. Don't Deliver Us From Evil benefits from a pair of great performances from young French actresses Jeanne Goupil and Catherine Wagener. Both give the film their all and give mature portrayals of their characters. The film is said to be a horror film; but it isn't really the case, as the focus is more on the drama and the corruption of youth than the satanic themes. The director doesn't allow the film to descend into comic book styling's, like some other films handling Satan do; and this benefits the film as it always seems serious and mature. Don't Deliver Us From Evil (great title, by the way!) is not as shocking now as it would have been upon it's release in 1970 - but still the film holds some weight in the shock stakes as many of the ideas that it portrays are still taboo to this day. Overall, this is a fascinating watch and one that should be seen by anyone who has a chance to see it!

This obscure French film, still unavailable in English, is a more fictionalized and much more exploitative version of the same real-life murder later covered in Peter Jackson's "Heavenly Creatures". The two girls in this movie, however, are decidedly less sympathetic than the heroines of the later movie and they commit not only murder, but every form of religious sacrilege, as well as some unforgivable cruelty to some birds belonging to a poor, retarded handyman. It is thus pretty hard to feel much sympathy toward them (even if I could understand most of what they were saying).The two girls are also decidedly younger than their juicy counterparts in "Heavenly Creatures" and the scenes of them prancing around in their underwear or one of the nymphets deliberately enticing a much older man and nearly being raped TWICE make for some decidedly uncomfortable viewing. To the movie's credit these scenes are obviously intended to shock and disturb much more than titillate (and anyone who finds themselves being turned on by them probably has a lot bigger problems than this movie). The ending is very memorable and truly shocking. I would kind of like to watch this movie with English or Spanish subtitles, but I'm not really sure I could sit through it again.