“One man’s cult is another man’s religion.”
I usually tend to stray from horror films that revolve around religious ideas. It’s just one those things I think should be left alone, along with political views. I did watch Kevin Smith’s Red State and that was a stretch for me, even though I am happy with the result of that film. I’m happy with the end result of Cult, too. I applaud the way the film worked several views and ideas including Shinto, Buddhism, Christianity, Wicca, and religious extremists into the film while maintaining respect for each religion and not making the film a piece with an agenda. So, if you tend to not watch religious based horror flicks like I do – I assure you, Cult isn’t a film that will piss you off.
A very detailed summary taken from IMDB describes the movie: “While studying the differences between religion and cult in college, Mindy, who is the best student in the class, convinces her schoolmates Cassandra, Bailey, Alex and Morgan to research the massacre of worshipers of Kwan Yin by their leader Owen Quinlin twenty years ago in California. Quinlin had found an ancient amulet in Southern China that would give an enormous power to him after the sacrifice of human souls, but one woman resists and he is destroyed. However, after the death of Morgan, who apparently committed suicide, the students discover that Quinlin has returned and is chasing their souls with his amulet. ”
Cult is an indie feature, having an estimated budget of $900,000. Despite the lackluster dollar amount, the acting in the film is pretty decent. I noticed several characters, and the rest were a bunch of nobodies. I recognized Taryn Manning (8 Mile, Kill Theory, and “Sons of Anarchy”), renowned make-up artist Myke Michaels, Rachel Miner (“Guiding Light,” Penny Dreadful, and Butterfly Effect 3), and Fiona Horn, the real life Wiccan from SyFy’s “Mad Mad House,” and author and singer. If you recognize any of these actors, then you’ve seen their acting ability. What you see is what you get as they are pretty much the main roles in Cult.
Gore fans will appreciate the film because the manner of death is always the same, but gruesome too. Everyone dies by having their eyes gouged out with a knife and then repeatedly stabbed in the throat or stomach/chest. This happens pretty often. Nudity fans, sorry, there’s none. Supernatural fans will enjoy Cult because the killer is pretty much a spirit hunting the college students through dark magic and he has some bad ass telekinetic powers.
So, all in all, Cult was pretty good. It was a lot of things in one. It showcased a lot of religious aspects that drove the plot forward. It had decent acting and good gore. It mixed supernatural and slasher elements together nicely. It also had a few good plot twists. Cult is by far a perfect film, or even an above average film, but if you look at it for what it is – I think you’ll enjoy it somewhat. It’s definitely a solid effort from Joe Knee and Autumn Entertainment. Cult is currently available On Demand. Give it a look if you find yourself bored this weekend.
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