When her father's sister Julia, who has recently been released from prison, enters their lives, Vicky also begins to reproduce her scent.

Vicky is transported back in time into dark and magical memories, leading her to discover the past love affair between her mother and Julia, the secrets of her village, and her own existence.

[7] The Five Devils had its world premiere in the Directors' Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival on 23 May 2022,[10][11] where it received a five-minute standing ovation.

The website's critics consensus reads, "Overflowing with ideas as it moves across genres, The Five Devils uses intoxicating magical realism to explore a family's troubled past.

"[20] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 68 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

[22] Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter assessed the film as having too many elements, criticising screenwriters Mysius and Guilhaume for infusing an "otherwise compelling and intimate tragedy with elements of witchcraft, the supernatural and time travel that feel like they belong in another film—whether it's by Shyamalan or Robert Eggers, or something from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Rather than enhancing the intrigue, the genre components wind up diluting it, and when the two sides of the movie ultimately come together, the impact feels blunted".

Films have to start investing in the complete aesthetic of Blackness, and that means getting people who can bring the most authenticity to a character".