I'll keep this short and sweet with no spoilers:
This was a very enjoyable film, though it won't be for everyone. The main cast, which encompasses about 80% of the film, is all of three or four people. While there are others in the cast, the majority of the dialog takes place between the kidnapped woman and two other people - a father and daughter. This makes for an eerie cerebral film reminiscent of Closetland.
First off, if you're looking for a gory, violent horror film, this is not for you. There are a couple of violent parts that contain gore, but they are far and few between and are not the primary focus of this film. The horror comes by way of psychological abuse and the unknown practices surrounding a religious cult and its rituals. Personally, I found that the director wasted NO film in this movie, as nearly every sequence has dialog that is in some way important for the story. Yes...that makes it a "slow burn" but it was an enjoyable one.
With regard to film characteristics, every measurable facet was above average, with some being very good. The acting was very good. The first 5-10 minutes gave me some doubts, as I couldn't figure out how to measure it, but once the main plot surfaced that feeling quickly went away. The direction is top notch as far as independent film goes. As mentioned above, the direction stripped the film down to what was needed, without a lot of mindless rambling or useless dialog. In this regard, I felt the script was very well done. The cinematography could have been improved upon, as there are several dark scenes that could have been better viewed with more expensive lights and filters. I'll chalk this one up to budgetary constraints; it didn't ruin the film in any way, but was noticeable to me. Lastly, I felt the acting was very well done, especially by the three main characters. It would be easy to call some of what is seen "over acting" but in the context of how the mind could be affected if kidnapped and kept in a cell, it makes sense.
Re: parental content:
- plenty of profanity. It's not overdone or completely vociferous, but it is prominent.
- there are only a couple of scenes containing nudity or sexual situations, and while the entire female body is seen nude, it is brief and part of a larger scene. It is in no way gratuitous, but does occur.
- most of the movie is what i would call adult oriented. While there is little that I would call unsuitable teens, the story is more complex, as well as the fact that there is regular degradation and derision of the Christian religion. Considering the cult worships Baphomet, anybody easily offended by anti-Christian tropes should steer clear.
***NOTE!!!
This move description states that the cult is a Satanist cult. This is not true. True Satanists, as codified by Anton LaVey, the Church Of Satan, and the Satanic Bible, are atheists and do not believe in supernatural gods or devils. This movie highlights a devil worshipper cult...NOT a Satanist cult, as explained in the bio.
- re: violence and gore, there is very little of either. The violence is limited to a couple of places and is largely non-bloody hand fighting. There are a couple of scenes that occur quickly - toward the end - that could be considered gory. The director does not hover on them, but rather uses them as a larger part of the story. Still, they are above average on the "ick" factor.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this film. I came upon it on Amazon and was interested due to the blaspheming and occult write-up I found online. I love a good devil worship flick, as it castigates the Christian religion pretty much from start to finish.
