Le Bon Apôtre

I was really hyped up for this one - I loved both "Raid" parts & folk/cult subgenre is one of my favorites in all things horror. I was expecting a sort of mashup of "The VVitch" and "Wicker man" (the original, of course), but what I got is a sort of a Lovecraftian "Wicker man", which is totally not bad. Let's start with the pros: amazing cinematography, decent acting, intriguing settings and well-done gore & fight scenes. That's enough pros to make a movie average or better than that. But what was wrong? Mainly pacing & plot. This could've easily been a 90minutes long horror flick, without losing much of the atmosphere. "The Apostle" was shook by a set-up too long, consisting of many uninterrupted long shots, walking, watching, staring etc., they were making suspense and doing an overkill at that. What about the plot? It's engaging enough (just enough), but ultimately fails to deliver some answers to some burning questions. To sum it up, it's an above-average Netflix original, a very decent horror film, average mystery drama & an entertaining watch for any folk/cult/religion/Lovecraftian loving horror fan. I give it a solid 7/10.

A fascinating and thoroughly engaging film, with incredible direction, great performances, splendid cinematography and an unpredictable plot, even though there were some inconsistencies.

It has been a while since I saw a good horror movie. Considering this is a very exploited genre and is hardly going to be something new, this movie is pretty good. It has an interesting and gripping plot, and reasonably unexpected turns. Overall entertaining.

Apostle is another Netflix original, a collaboration between UK and US production companies and is certainly a memorable tale.

It tells the story of a man who visits a secluded island housed by a mysterious cult that have kidnapped his sister. But beneath the visage is something even more sinister than he could have possibly imagined.

It comes under the horror genre, I question that. Is it really? Thriller seems to suit it better.

Starring Michael Sheen in a truly excellent performance by him this grisly, dark, moody little film really got my attention early on but by about half way it seemed to have lost its way. Like the writer had a good idea but didn't know how to follow through with it.

I'm not saying Apostle is a bad movie, it has some great themes and looks great but from an entertainment perspective it finds itself somewhat lacking. I'm not a person who needs everything spelling out for him, I don't mind things being left open to interpretation but there is a fine line between that and just leaving things a tad too open.

Apostle is a watchable effort with some nice ideas but as for what they were actually aiming for I think it's a swing and a miss. Shame.

The Good:

Looks the part

Michael Sheen

A few decent ideas

The Bad:

Doesn't really come together very well

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Concerningly that lifestyle (Minus the religion) oddly appeals to me

Christian torture devices are the stuff of nightmares

I cannot believe there are any bad reviews for this film. I'll keep this brief.

This film is an absolute gift for anyone who loves true horror. Much like The VVitch it is a beautifully acted and written period piece set in the early 1900's. The pacing is perfect, the tone is driving and rhythmic, never was there a point during this film where I was bored. The characters were fleshed out and easy to empathize with. Overall I thought this was fantastic. I think it's almost a waste that its a netflix film and did not get a theatrical release.

Anyone who loves the idea of paganism, cults, religion without pandering to Christians (which is what The Conjuring does, even though I am a fan of those films), or period pieces will love this film. Do your self a favor and give it a chance.