I must admit I hadn’t heard about the case of Michelle Smith before seeing the documentary Satan Wants You.
This captivating chronicle goes through Michelle’s claims of being the victim of satanic ritualistic abuse and meeting Dr Lawrence Pazder.
From here they documented Michelle’s claims and created the book Michelle Remembers, which became almost a bible of sorts for people claiming to be part of similar practices.
This gave rise to the ‘Satanic Panic’ craze where puritanicals or the Church claimed satanism on every corner and in some cases fabricated false claims that led to some imprisonments.
Michelle and Pasder’s relationship is also explored by those around them, as their combined toxicity and the feeling this was all a bit of a hoax combine to leave a bitter taste.
The snowball effect of such claims is also dissected, as we see clips from talk shows such as Oprah and Sally, where people make outlandish claims without any real evidence. What is frightening is the likeness to the Pizzagate conspiracy theories of today and how easily people become indoctrinated in this minor cult movement.
The Church of Satan is also mentioned and also how research beyond the claims has often brought down some of these claims. The FBI behavioural science unit effectively makes a laughing stock of much of it once it’s clear that there is mass hysteria without anything to really back it up. Actions have consequences, but there is no evidence of action, just words.
Satan Wants You is a well-researched, and well-rounded piece on Satanic Panic and shows you can’t believe anything you see or read, without tangible evidence.
Satan Wants You screens as part of Raindance Film Festival 2023,
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