PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Cults! They are there with open arms when your family and loved ones just can’t be bothered. Sure you have to give them everything: your possessions, your body, your soul, and maybe your life! But in all seriousness, this subject has spawned some of the best horror movies out there. You may notice that I don’t have some of the bigger name movies on my list, but I’m trying to champion some of the smaller gems that I just adore. That said, let’s get to the movies!
Apostle
directed by Gareth Evans
Synopsis
In 1905, a drifter on a dangerous mission to rescue his kidnapped sister tangles with a sinister religious cult on an isolated island.
This film works brilliantly as a folk horror film, a nature horror film, and a cult film all at the same time. Dan Stevens sheds any remaining bits of Downton Abbey civility that might still cling to him and attacks his role with dark glee. This is bloody, grimy filmmaking that you need to see!
Midsommar
directed by Ari Aster
Synopsis
A couple travels to Northern Europe to visit a rural hometown’s fabled Swedish mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.
Without a doubt one of the most iconic cult films of modern times, Midsommar works because it is an absolute master class in acting, cinematography, and in creating rising dread in the viewer. The visuals are dreamlike in sections, but can turn into a nightmare in an instant. It also features a protagonist that is the classic person that falls into a cult – no family, terrible friends/boyfriend, and filled with trauma. I had a very hard time picking between this and Aster’s Hereditary, but Midsommar just edged it out.
The Endless
directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead
Synopsis
Two brothers receive a cryptic video message inspiring them to revisit the UFO death cult they escaped a decade earlier. Hoping to find the closure that they couldn’t find as young men, they’re forced to reconsider the cult’s beliefs when confronted with unexplainable phenomena surrounding the camp. As the members prepare for the coming of a mysterious event, the brothers race to unravel the seemingly impossible truth before their lives become permanently entangled with the cult.
Let me start out by saying I LOVE THESE FILMMAKERS! I appreciate a well scripted, imaginative, lower budget film that delivers a fresh and interesting story. These two put out not one, but three of these films with Spring, Resolution, and this film: The Endless. The three films connect to each other, but it’s in this highly cerebral film where directors Benson and Moorhead really bring their vision together. It’s a slow burn, but patient, thoughtful viewers are rewarded in the end as the storyline you expected fades away to an exploration of free-will, destiny, and the very fabric of time. Just watch it!
The Empty Man
directed by David Prior
Synopsis
On the trail of a missing girl, an ex-cop comes across a secretive group attempting to summon a terrifying supernatural entity.
Like so many of the films on this list, this one just flew below the radar for most people. It takes a patient viewer that is willing to let the story unfold over time. This is the type of film that will have you thinking about it days afterward.
God is a Bullet
directed by Nick Cassavetes
Synopsis
Detective Bob Hightower finds his ex-wife murdered and his teenage daughter kidnapped by an insidious satanic cult. Hightower takes matters into his own hands and infiltrates the secretive cult with the help of the cult’s only female victim escapee, Case Hardin.
If you are looking for a film with blood and guts, this is the one! This also features an absolutely stunning performance by Maika Monroe. That said, this is by far the bleakest film on the list. But what else can you expect from a group of satanists?
The Lodge
directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz
Synopsis
A soon-to-be stepmom is snowed in with her fiancé’s two children at a remote holiday village. Just as relations begin to thaw between the trio, some strange and frightening events take place.
This film, like the brilliant Martha Marcy May Marlene, shows how the effects of being in a cult can follow you – long after you leave. And man, don’t mess with a fragile mind. Riley Keogh is exceptional as the ex-cult member who slowly, slowly cracks.
Faults
directed by Riley Stearns
Synopsis
A cult deprogrammer is hired to help a couple whose daughter is under the influence of a mysterious cult.
This movie is not what you expect it will be – and that’s what makes it so good. The criminally undercast Leland Orser is AMAZING as the cult deprogrammer who has lost all passion for his job. He takes the case of Claire (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) only out of greed. But who is really in charge here?
Holy Hell
directed by Will Allen
Synopsis
An inside look at Buddhafield, a West Hollywood cult formed by a charismatic teacher in the 1980s that eventually imploded.
Brotherhood of the Wolf
directed by Christophe Gans
Synopsis
In 18th-century France, the Chevalier de Fronsac and his Native American friend Mani are sent to the Gevaudan province at the king’s behest to investigate the killings of hundreds by a mysterious beast.
Who says films featuring cults can’t kick a little butt? This genre bending film is still the best French conspiracy, secret cult, kung fu, werewolf, romance, action, horror, thriller to ever exist. And I’m so glad I saw this one in the theaters! It was interesting to see the *results* of the cult’s work for the majority of the film rather that the cult itself. It sets Brotherhood of the Wolf apart from all the other films on this list. You can read our retro review here!
The Other Lamb
directed by Malgorzata Szumowska
Synopsis
Deep in the woods, an all-female cult called the Flock is presided over by a single man, Shepherd. Selah, a devoted young believer on the brink of maturity, finds her faith tested as dark visions begin to reveal the fates awaiting the women as they age.
This gorgeous film looks not only at the oppressive nature of cults, but what strength of will it takes to break free – at any cost. I can’t say enough about Raffey Cassidy’s incredible performance, whose character evolution takes place almost totally behind her eyes. It’s incredible work in a really unique, feminist cult film. The Other Flock is a symbolic, slow burn that only improves the more times you see it. I love this one!
What are your favorite films about cults? Let me know in the comments below!
