The 2005 horror film The Devil's Rejects is one of the most popular Rob Zombie movies and is a sequel to House of 1000 Corpses, which was released in 2003. The Devil's Rejects follows several unique main characters who continue the spree of violence that they started in the first film. Zombie's work is always dark, intense, and visually arresting. He puts his own spin on the horror genre for sure, whether making this series about the Firefly family or putting out different Halloween movies.
The Devil's Rejects has a high Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of 78%, which proves how popular it has been since its release over a decade ago. What happens during The Devil's Rejects and how does the story get wrapped up?
What Is The Devil's Rejects About?
For several horror fans, The Devil's Rejects is Rob Zombie's best horror movie. The story is about the Firefly family, including Vera-Ellen "Baby" Firefly (Sheri Moon Zombie). When John Quincey Wydell try to catch the Firefly family for killing more than 75 people, Mother Firefly (Leslie Easterbrook) is arrested and Rufus Firefly Jr. (Tyler Mane) dies.
Baby and Otis Driftwood (Bill Moseley) murder someone so they can take their car and head for a motel called Kahiki Palms. Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), also known as Cutter, is Baby's dad, and he joins them at the motel. The characters continue their typical violent behavior here. Even though anyone who saw the previous movie House Of 1000 Corpses definitely expected this, it's still a bit of a shock to see just how much this family enjoys causing harm and killing people. They are unforgettable characters as a result and some of the most original horror movie villains. It's tough to compare them to other characters or even put them in the same category as slasher villains.
While the trailer for Rob Zombie's The Munsters was bad, The Devil's Rejects is widely considered a more well-crafted movie. When the film turned 16 in July 2021, Rob Zombie celebrated with an Instagram post. It's clear that the film meant a lot to him. The writer/director wrote, "16 years ago today my second feature film THE DEVIL’S REJECTS was released. Making that film was s blast. I am so thrilled it is still finding new fans every day. When did you first see it?Watch the film tonight and remember some of our friends who have left us… Matt McGrory, Geoffrey Lewis, Tom Towles and Sid Haig."
The Firefly family is definitely not very likable... But they're not meant to be. Rob Zombie's Firefly characters are cruel and violent, and they don't care what people think of them. When the characters return for the third film in the franchise, 3 From Hell, which was released in 2019, they haven't changed. And that was done on purpose, of course.
Sometimes it can be tough to see characters who are so relentlessly terrible. And horror movie fans like seeing memorable main characters who go on journeys that are easy to understand. But there's something captivating about the darkness inherent in the Firefly family. Because they are exactly who they are, it's hard to not want to keep watching them, no matter how terribly they behave.
How Does The Devil's Rejects End?
The ending of The Devil's Rejects is as intense as the rest of the story. After George Wydell (Tom Towles) lights a house on fire, he saves Baby in order to chase after her. Captain Spaulding, Baby and Otis steal a car and try to escape. Otis can tell that there are cops in front and that they might not be able to get away after all.
As the three characters shoot at the police officers, the cops shoot them too. Audiences only see black, which leaves the ending ambiguous. Is this a horror movie ending that feels satisfying? On the one hand, it's easy to want the Firefly family to get caught because they have done some terrible things and hurt so many people. On the other hand, their dark journey manages to be captivating despite how unlikable they are. At least the ending proves that there is life left in the Firefly franchise and leads right into the third and final movie.
However, if the ending of The Devil's Rejects was wrapped up in a bow, or even kind of boring, then it wouldn't be a Rob Zombie movie. Zombie's Halloween movies are interesting because they are hard to look away from. They might interpret Michael Myers much differently than the original franchise, and not everyone likes that. But Zombie has a unique filmmaking approach and favors strong-willed characters who don't apologize for their base instincts. And there is definitely a place in the horror genre for these types of movies.