KolobosRexx

I watched this as soon as I saw it on Amazon VOD! As a huge fan of All of Marcel Walz' films ("Rootwood", "Blood Feast", "Blind", "Pretty Boy" among others!), and a fan of the radiant Sarah French, I wasted no time!

The story is more allegorical than linear-plot driven, concerning a highly wealthy and religious family, who host elaborate masquerade-parties, for well-heeled invitees, with the enticement of having one guests' "ultimate wish" fulfilled. The caveat here is that the outcomes are predetermined, and essentially based in revenge and punishment! The tale unfolds over the course of several months, with the ultimate fate of the well-meaning but ultimately corrupted pious family reaping their karmic rewards for their deeds.

The acting is top-notch across the board, with the always fabulous Sarah French playing a sinister turn in contrast to her usual "good-girl" roles! The direction is stylish and full of surreal imagery, and gore-fans will not be disappointed! Definitely a must-watch!

...I am a huge fan of sci-fi/horror, especially when it leans into the region of the incomprehensible and unknown, i.e. "Cosmic Horror"! Noteworthy examples (and personal favorites!) of such include "Event Horizon" in particular, "Lifeforce", "The Thing", "The Black Hole" and of course, "Alien"! That said, I realized halfway through this film that it was in essence, a high-concept update of "Mario Bava's "Planet of the Vampires", which itself was a source of inspiration for "Alien", much like how "Quatermass and the Pit" helped inspire the film "Lifeforce"!

All of That said, this movie takes its obvious influences and takes a full turn at the end into pure Lovecraftian nightmare-fuel, without giving away anything! It's definitely worth checking out theatrically for the visuals alone! Eiza Gonzales is also quite pleasant to look at in general, and puts on a potent performance! It's helpful for the film that she replaced Tessa Thompson in the part, as she just seems unlikeable and fairly insufferable in most things (see "Westworld"!) Definitely worth checking out!

...Stumbled across this on Tubi and Loved it! Gritty, fun homage to the 70"s and 80's Satanic/Cult- panic films of that time period, such as "The Devil's Rain", "The Devil Rides Out", and "Hack-O-Lantern", along with "siege"-films like "The Hills Have Eyes" and "Assault On Precinct 13"!

Reed plays a troubled loner living in isolation in the desert, who gets pulled into a mess of epic consequences when a wounded camper-lady forces her way into his home, following the Slaughter of her friends by the zealot demon-worshipping cult, now hot on her heels and determined to "include" her in their ritual,.. For Worse!

Led by the vivacious and hopelessly mad Claire, the cultists aren't the most competent or Intimidating, but make up for it with sheer fixated determination! What follows is a harrowing night of violence and hopelessness, with a surprising (but not ultimately unexpected) revelation and display of mad depravity, and a bleak but ironically humorous finale.

This was a surprisingly impressive feature directorial debut, with great performances and a ton of gory practical effects! Highly recommended!