Hail Satan?

Hail Satan? is a 2019 American documentary film about The Satanic Temple, including its origins and grassroots political activism. Directed by Penny Lane, the film premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and was released in the United States on April 19, 2019, distributed by Magnolia Pictures. The film shows Satanists working to preserve the separation of church and state against the perceived privilege of the Christian right.

Production
Lane wanted to combat the widespread view of the Satanic panic of the 1970s through 1990s, during which Satanists were described as rapists and murderers, usually of children. She described the editing for the film occurred in approximately six months, "concurrent with the bulk of shooting." She made the conscious decision to leave out known details about inner conflict within the organization and external criticisms from other Satanists. After completion of editing, Lane joined the Satanic Temple as a member.

Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 96% based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 7.83/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Hail Satan? challenges preconceived notions of its subject with a smart, witty, and overall entertaining dispatch from the front lines of the fight for social justice." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 77 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".