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Plot Summary

Daughters of Satan (1972) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
1972 · 90 mins · English
JustWatch #13,027 14
Directed by
Hollingsworth Morse
Starring
Tom Selleck, Vic Diaz, Barra Grant, Vic Silayan, Paquito Salcedo, Paraluman

When a man acquires a painting that shows witches being burned at the stake, he is shocked to recognize his own wife among the condemned. The artwork pulls him into a secret cult of sensual, fire‑wielding witches who revel in torture and desire, forcing him to confront a terrifying link between the image and his own marriage.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Daughters of Satan
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Daughters of Satan (1972)

Where can you watch Daughters of Satan? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV and MGM Plus: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Daughters of Satan: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Daughters of Satan (1972) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

In Manila, the dominatrix leader of a coven of Satanic witches tortures a member who has strayed from them. Meanwhile, James Robertson, an American museum curator, visits Carlos Ching's antiques store under the pretext of purchasing a painting for a museum. While in the shop, James encounters a painting from 1592 depicting conquistadors burning three women and a dog at the stake—he is taken aback when he notices that one of the women bears a striking resemblance to his wife, Chris Robertson. James purchases the painting, and finds Chris highly disturbed by it. She remarks the name of the coven depicted in it—the Duarte coven—and also knows the year the executions took place, but cannot recall where she learned of it.

The following day, Chris is approached by a dog that resembles that in the painting, and which bears a collar with the name Nicodemus. James later notices the dog has mysteriously faded from the painting. Shortly after, a woman named Juana Rios stops by the home, claiming to be responding to a housekeeper advertisement, though Chris informs her they did not place one. Juana glimpses the painting in the living room, and she and Chris both notice that Juana also resembles one of the women depicted in it. A frightened Chris asks Juana to leave, but Juana insists on staying to help Chris fulfill her "destiny" before presenting her with an antique dagger. After Juana takes on housekeeping duties for the Robertsons, James notices that a second figure—this time one of the three witches—has disappeared from the painting.

James visits the address on Nicodemus's collar, which he finds to be a mortuary. The man working there directs James to the address of Carlos's antique store; as Jim exits the mortuary, he fails to notice a coffin being prepared with his name, as well as the corpse of the woman tortured by the coven. Upon entering Carlos's store, James finds Carlos dead, a dagger in his heart, and is attacked by an unknown man, but manages to elude him. The incident prompts James to visit Dr. Dangal, a psychiatrist. During their visit, one of Dangal's other patients, Kitty Duarte—the dominatrix coven leader—rambling about being forced to do evil things. After she leaves, James remarks that she resembles the third woman in the painting.

Chris begins to make subtle attempts at murdering James, but none are successful. James discusses the changes in his wife's personality with Dangal, who begins to suspect she may be possessed. James and Dangal notice that the images in the painting seem to reappear at night, when neither Juana, Chris, or Nicodemus are active. Later, Dangal has a vision of the three witches dancing as he drives home. Kitty manifests an explosion that kills him on a bridge. After Dangal's funeral, Kitty attempts to seduce James, and then shows him another painting depicted a different scene of the witch burning, which shows the magistrate Roberson who ordered the execution; James observes that it bears a striking resemblance to himself. Kitty believes Jim is a descendant of Roberson, and that the women he executed have sought vengeance against every subsequent generation in his family.

Later, the coven convenes in a dilapidated villa. Chris is strung up half-naked and beaten by Kitty, who accuses of her failing to fulfill her task. After she returns home, Chris drugs James, and she, Juana, and Kitty place him in his car atop a precipice with ice blocks beneath the tires. Just before midnight—when the car should plunge over the cliff—James awakens. Meanwhile, Chris, Kitty, and Juana, all gathered at a restaurant, come out of a deep trance. Juana introduces herself to the others as Almina Remundo, a nurse; Chris expresses fear about Jim's whereabouts, after which Kitty urges her to visit Dangal. Chris returns home by herself, and finds Jim there, alive. Though groggy, he recalls escaping the car before it plunged over the cliff. Nicodemus, who was previously antagonistic to James, is now friendly. Chris continues to feel something is awry. As she and James lie down on his office couch, the painted images of the witches begin to fade. A tearful Chris reaches for the dagger, and stabs James to death.

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:29

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Plot questions answered

Daughters of Satan Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Daughters of Satan (1972): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does Chris recognize the Duarte coven name from the painting?

Chris recognizes the Duarte coven name because she is a descendant of one of the three witches burned in 1592. The painting depicts her ancestral lineage, and her hidden connection to the coven is the reason she knows about it despite claiming she cannot recall where she learned it. Her knowledge is tied to the hereditary curse that ties her family to the witchcraft accusations.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Chris is disturbed by the painting and knows specific details about the coven, hinting at her deeper connection to the supernatural events.

  • duarte coven
  • chris
  • possession
  • ancestral curse
  • witches
Q2

Who is Kitty Duarte and what is her role in the coven?

Kitty Duarte is the dominatrix leader of the modern-day Duarte coven, directly descended from the three witches burned in 1592. She is the third woman depicted in the painting and serves as the primary antagonist orchestrating the revenge plot against James's family line. She tortures members who stray, kills Dr. Dangal, and manipulates Chris into betraying her husband.

Foreshadowing: During James's visit to Dr. Dangal, Kitty rambles about being forced to do evil things, establishing her as a dangerous coven member.

  • kitty duarte
  • coven leader
  • dominatrix
  • satanic witches
  • antagonist
Q3

Why does Chris try to murder James?

Chris attempts to kill James because she has become possessed by the coven and is being controlled to fulfill the ancestral vengeance. As a descendant of the burned witches, she is compelled to eliminate the descendant of magistrate Roberson, who ordered the executions in 1592. The coven manipulates her through supernatural means, turning her into an instrument of revenge against her own husband.

Foreshadowing: Chris begins making subtle attempts at murdering James after Juana arrives, and Dr. Dangal suspects she may be possessed.

  • chris
  • james
  • murder attempt
  • possession
  • revenge
  • coven control
Q4

What causes Dr. Dangal's death?

Dr. Dangal is killed by Kitty Duarte, the coven leader, who triggers an explosion that destroys his car on a bridge. This is retaliation because Dangal was helping James investigate the coven and had become a threat to their plans. His death eliminates the only person who recognized Chris's possession and was working to expose the supernatural conspiracy.

Foreshadowing: During his last drive home, Dangal has a vision of the three witches dancing, foreshadowing his imminent death.

  • dr dangal
  • kitty
  • explosion
  • bridge death
  • coven kill
Q5

Why is Nicodemus the dog important to the story?

Nicodemus is the reincarnated form of the dog that was burned alongside the three witches in 1592. He serves as a supernatural messenger and tracker for the coven, leading James to investigate the mortuary and Carlos's antique shop. His presence connects the historical execution to the present-day events, and his demeanor shifts from antagonistic to friendly as the coven's plan advances.

Foreshadowing: The dog arrives wearing a collar with the name Nicodemus immediately after James purchases the painting.

  • nicodemus
  • dog
  • reincarnation
  • supernatural messenger
  • coven
Q6

Why do figures disappear from the painting?

Figures disappear from the painting as the coven members manifest in the real world. When Nicodemus appears at the Robertson home, the dog disappears from the painting. When Juana arrives and settles in, one of the witches disappears. The painting acts as a supernatural portal that reflects the physical presence of the coven members in the present day, with each appearance corresponding to a figure vanishing from the 1592 artwork.

Foreshadowing: James notices the dog has mysteriously faded from the painting shortly after Nicodemus arrives.

  • painting
  • supernatural
  • figures disappear
  • coven manifest
  • 1592
Q7

What is the connection between James and magistrate Roberson?

James Robertson is a direct descendant of magistrate Roberson, the historical figure who ordered the burning of the three witches in 1592. Kitty believes the women have sought vengeance against every generation of Roberson's family, and James is the current target. This ancestral blood feud explains why the coven is targeting him specifically through his wife Chris.

Foreshadowing: Kitty shows James a second painting depicting the magistrate, and he observes it bears a striking resemblance to himself.

  • james
  • roberson
  • ancestor
  • magistrate
  • descendant
  • revenge bloodline
Q8

Why does the coven want revenge on James's family?

The coven seeks revenge because magistrate Roberson ordered the execution of three innocent women and a dog in 1592. After being burned alive, these women formed a satanic pact to pursue vengeance against his entire bloodline across generations. The curse has passed down through centuries, with each descendant of Roberson becoming a target for the Duarte coven's retribution.

Foreshadowing: The painting depicts conquistadors burning the women at the stake, establishing the historical injustice that fuels the present-day revenge.

  • coven
  • revenge
  • 1592 execution
  • burning witches
  • ancestral curse
Q9

Why does Chris stab James at the end despite him surviving the car trap?

Chris stabs James because the coven's possession has completely overtaken her free will. Even though James escaped the car trap and returned home alive, the supernatural control over Chris forces her to complete the ritual killing. The dagger was given to her by Juana as part of her destiny, and the coven's influence compels her to use it despite her fear and hesitation. She reaches for the weapon while in tears, showing the tragic battle between her remaining humanity and the coven's hold.

Foreshadowing: The painted images of the witches begin to fade as Chris and James reunite, creating a false sense of relief before the final betrayal.

  • chris
  • james
  • final scene
  • stabbing
  • dagger
  • possession culmination
Q10

How does James escape the car trap set by the coven?

James escapes because the ice blocks beneath the car's tires begin to melt in the engine heat, causing the vehicle to shift and roll before the fatal drop. He awakens just before midnight, breaks free from the car, and manages to escape before the vehicle plunges over the cliff. This escape is portrayed as fortunate timing rather than supernatural intervention, though the painting's images fading suggests the coven's power may be weakening.

Foreshadowing: The trio gathers at the restaurant for a ceremonial countdown while the car sits at the precipice, building tension for the midnight deadline.

  • car trap
  • ice blocks
  • escape
  • cliff
  • james survival
Q11

Who is Juana Rios really and what is her connection to the painting?

Juana Rios is actually Almina Remundo, a nurse who is the second witch reincarnated from the 1592 painting. She deliberately inserts herself into the Robertson household by responding to a housekeeper advertisement they never placed. Her mission is to help Chris fulfill her destiny as the third witch and assist in the revenge against James. She provides the antique dagger used in the final killing.

Foreshadowing: Both Chris and Juana notice that Juana resembles one of the women depicted in the painting, and she insists on staying to help fulfill the destiny.

  • juana
  • almina remundo
  • nurse
  • reincarnation
  • witch
  • coven member

Movie threads

More Movies Like Daughters of Satan, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Daughters of Satan tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Occult horror movies where the home is threatened, like Daughters of Satan

Where a dark supernatural force corrupts a relationship from within. If you liked Daughters of Satan, you'll find similar chilling tales of satanic possession and betrayal here. This collection features horror movies where a spouse or family member is secretly part of a dark cult, turning the home into a place of danger. Explore more films about psychological manipulation and supernatural threats from within.

  • supernatural possession
  • occult
  • paranoid
  • betrayal
  • sinister
  • anxious
  • Tone: dark, paranoid, sinister
  • Pacing: steady, escalating dread
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically follows a protagonist who uncovers unsettling clues that their partner or loved one is involved in occult practices. The story builds as the protagonist's suspicions grow into horrified certainty, culminating in a confrontation where the domestic sanctuary becomes a battlefield against a satanic or supernatural entity.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their core conflict: the corruption of a intimate, trusting relationship by an occult force. They share a mood of domestic paranoia, a dark tone centered on betrayal, and the intense horror of safety being destroyed from the inside.

Gothic slow burn horror movies with a fatalistic curse, like Daughters of Satan

Atmospheric tales where a historical curse methodically seals a tragic fate. Fans of Daughters of Satan will appreciate these similarly paced horror films about inescapable curses. Discover movies where a dark past catches up to the present through occult rituals and supernatural vengeance. These stories share a steady pacing, a heavy emotional weight, and a bleak, fatalistic tone that leads to a tragic conclusion.

  • gothic
  • fatalistic
  • oppressive
  • eerie
  • occult
  • anxious
  • Tone: dark, eerie, fatalistic
  • Pacing: steady, slow burn
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern begins with the discovery of an artifact or history tied to a past transgression. A curse is set in motion, and the plot unfolds methodically as omens and supernatural events escalate, confirming the characters' helplessness. The journey is less about solving a mystery and more about witnessing the inevitable, sad fulfillment of a dark destiny.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread are united by their specific vibe: a gothic, eerie atmosphere combined with a steady, unhurried pacing that allows dread to accumulate. They focus on the theme of fatalism, where characters are trapped by a supernatural history, resulting in a heavy emotional weight and typically a bleak or sad ending.

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Every angle

Daughters of Satan (1972) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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