Devil Returns

Devil Returns

Year: 1982

Runtime: 88 mins

Language: Chinese

Director: Chen Yao-chi

HorrorDrama

A woman is raped and impregnated by a psychopath, who comes back from beyond the grave to exact revenge when his demonic son undergoes an exorcism.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Devil Returns yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Devil Returns (1982) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Devil Returns (1982), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Mei-hsun Fang [Emily Y. Chang] hails a taxicab, and is brought to an abandoned building by the driver, a wanted robber and serial rapist. The man beats and sexually assaults Mei-hsun, and leaves her for dead. Mei-hsun survives, and is able to identify her assailant in a police lineup, resulting in his execution by firing squad, an event which Mei-hsun witnesses in a dream the moment it occurs. The rapist’s death does little to comfort Mei-hsun, who is plagued by nightmares and visions of the man, and is horrified to learn that she is pregnant with what she assumes is his child. Mei-hsun tries to have an abortion in secret, but as the procedure is about to begin, an invisible force attacks the doctor and nurse, and flings the former out a window.

In a last-ditch effort to get rid of the baby, which she is convinced is evil, Mei-hsun throws herself down a flight of stairs, though this merely causes the child to be born a month premature. While Mei-hsun’s husband, nanny, and friends all believe he is normal, the baby is in fact supernatural, and torments his mother when no one else is around to witness his actions. One day, to try and put Mei-hsun at ease, the nanny suggests she take the child to a temple where exorcisms are performed, in attempt to rid the boy of whatever being she believes is corrupting him. The ceremony (during which the baby’s head spins around, and objects break) is a success, and the child begins acting normal.

Enraged by what has been done to his son, Mei-hsun’s rapist returns from beyond to take revenge, following the nanny to her home, and slamming her head onto a door hook. The nanny’s young son visits Mei-hsun to ask if she has seen his mother, who Mei-hsun goes to look for, eventually stumbling onto her hidden body. Mei-hsun rushes home, where the killer murders a visiting female friend and her suitor, impaling the latter with a knife, and causing the former to bleed uncontrollably before asphyxiating her and crushing her head. The killer attacks Mei-hsun, who manages to fend him off long enough for her husband and a police officer to appear, and banish the undead madman by drenching him in wine, and shooting him several times.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:56

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Movies like Devil Returns: Trauma-Driven Supernatural Revenge

Horror films where extreme personal trauma unleashes a cycle of supernatural vengeance.If you were gripped by the intense horror of Devil Returns, this collection features similar films where personal trauma fuels a cycle of supernatural vengeance. Discover movies that explore the brutal intersection of surviving violence and confronting demonic or ghostly forces seeking retribution.

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Narratives in this thread typically begin with a brutal, life-altering trauma inflicted upon a protagonist. This event doesn't just leave psychological scars; it directly awakens or summons a supernatural force—often the spirit of the aggressor or a demonic entity tied to the violence—that returns to continue the torment, escalating the conflict into a battle for survival against overwhelming evil.

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Movies are grouped here due to their shared focus on trauma as the direct cause of supernatural horror, a consistently dark and brutal tone, high emotional intensity, and a plot structure that moves from personal violation to a larger, supernatural siege.

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Stories where characters are relentlessly hunted by an inescapable supernatural threat.For viewers who appreciated the non-stop, oppressive horror of Devil Returns, this section highlights films with a similar feeling of a relentless supernatural siege. Find movies where characters are hunted by an unstoppable demonic or ghostly force, with fast pacing and high tension from start to finish.

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The narrative pattern involves a supernatural antagonist—a demon, possessed individual, or vengeful spirit—that identifies its target and launches an unceasing, escalating attack. The plot is driven by a series of violent encounters with minimal downtime, pushing the characters to their physical and psychological limits in a fight for survival that feels hopeless.

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These films share a cohesive experience defined by their fast pacing, consistently high tension, oppressive and anxious mood, and a plot structure that emphasizes continuous action and horror over slow-building mystery or investigation.

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Devil Returns

Devil Returns Spoiler-Free Summary

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