Satanic Documentary Is Making A Hell Of A Comeback On HBO Max 6 Years Later

A Satanic documentary is making one Hell of a comeback on HBO Max.

The critically praised documentary is now scoring big on streaming, six years after it was originally released in the United States. HBO Max has a plethora of documentaries available on a whole host of subjects, from the historical investigation of White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to highlighting the drug epidemic in Crime of the Century. While some of its documentaries are original to the platform, having been produced by HBO itself, others were originally released elsewhere, and are now available to watch.

Such is the case with Hail Satan?, a 2019 documentary that first premiered at Sundance Film Festival before earning a widespread release across the United States. The documentary follows the history of The Satanic Temple, which was originally formed as a mockery to Florida’s then-governor, Rick Scott, for supporting prayer in school. The organization later evolved into a fully-fledged religion, the documentary showcasing the group’s involvement with political activism and their work to uphold the separation of church and state across the nation.

Now, Hail Satan? is listed as one of the top movies on HBO Max, after debuting on the platform at the start of the month. According to data from July 19, 2026, the documentary is listed as the Number 10 movie in the United States on the streaming service. This follows previous stints in the Top 10 throughout the week, having climbed as high as Number 6 on July 16, 2026. While the popularity of the film has been fluctuating over time, it’s managed to draw in a big enough audience to keep charting.

Image via HBO Max

Hail Satan? offers a very direct view of The Satanic Temple, including their origins as a political movement, their belief system, and how they operate as an anti-religious religious organization. There’s particular focus on their attempts to get a statue of the demon Baphomet placed next to a monument of the Ten Commandments, to mock Christian favoritism in the United States. The streaming documentary mostly focuses on their political and social activism, which, despite the name of the group, is their true, foundational goal.

The documentary has earned universal acclaim from critics: Hail Satan? holds a Certified Fresh 96% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 133 reviews. It’s also received praise from audiences who’ve viewed the movie, scoring an 85% on the platform as well based on over 250 reviews. This level of attention seems to have found its way to the modern streaming audience, who are continually helping the movie chart across various days on the platform. It’s a success level that shows it’s still a compelling documentary, even six years later.

As Hail Satan? continues to chart on HBO Max, it can lead audiences to discover new and compelling facts about the religiously-motivated and political organization. Since the group is still very much around, it can help spawn additional research into it, sparking curiosity thanks to its honest portrayal. As the movie continues to be available on the platform, it will likely continue to appear on streaming charts as well.

Release Date

April 17, 2019

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  Nicholas Crowe

  Self – TST Collaborator

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  Malcolm Jarry

  Self – TST Co-founder

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  Lucien Greaves

  Self – Author

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  Jesper Aagaard Petersen

  Self – TST Member