Texas Cult House

We were thrilled to have the opportunity to embrace the Halloween spirit watching this movie at the Austin Film Festival!

Julia Barnett's dark, yet witty writing/direction makes this a real gem of a film. The plot doesn't rely on jump-scares for effect, but rather the eerie, haunting flashback-filled storyline and creepy deep-woods setting.

The cast of young, as well as seasoned actors is impressive through their talent and passion. And somehow they even managed to make dreamy Ryan Cooper look evil.

This film offers a new twist on a popular theme, with a couple of "well, I did NOT see that coming"moments.

I can see this one becoming a real CULT classic!

A group of teenagers seek thrills at the abandoned house of an infamous cult, count me in! I was lucky to catch this at the Austin Film Festival and boy did it deliver. Writer/Director Julia Barnett unapologetically leans into familiar horror tropes while making her own mark on the genre with a unique take on cults. The teenagers in Texas Cult House are both appropriately naive and surprisingly adept handling their increasingly horrific situation. Adrianne Palicki of Friday Night Lights and The Orville fame, is terrific as the mother who knows her kids absence is more than just high schoolers out having fun who failed to check in. Palicki, in full momma bear mode, also has a mysterious connection to this cult house. Barnett teases a sequel at the end that is every bit as compelling as the entire film. Hope it comes to a midnight screen near you!

I was lucky enough to catch the premiere of Texas Cult House at Austin Film Festival. Let me tell you, I was in for a ride. You want mysterious houses in the middle of nowhere. It's got that. Murder death cults. You're covered. Shocking revelations that'll splatter the wall. It's there. But this is not your typical horror. It flips the genre on its head. And that's a good thing. Without giving anything away, let's just say this story is not afraid to face some of the pertinent issues of our day.

Adrianne Palicki knocks it out of the park as the mother who knows something is not right when her kids don't check in on a night out galavanting. Ryan Cooper nails the charismatic Deacon Jones saving souls as long as they align with his views. The ensemble young cast all play off each other and have their own moments to shine. And last, but certainly not least, writer director Julia Barnett has done it. She's created something special here.