Review of Apostle (2018) by Allan C — 27 Oct 2018

Creepy slow burn horror tale of Dan Stevens traveling to a remote Welsh island to rescue his sister who's being held hostage by a secretive religious cult. Stevens poses as a new convert to figure out where his sister is being held and slowly learns that these seemingly friendly folks are hiding some very dark secrets.

Without ruining anything, think "The Wicker Man" meets the surreal savageness of "Mandy." The film was written and directed by Gareth Evans, who made the mind-blowing action film "The Raid," and he brings equal style and flare to this film, but he does dial down the dizzying stylistics of his action films in favor of building an unsettling atmosphere and growing dread.

Although Evans' fevered dream style of storytelling is the real star of the film, Steven is excellent in the lead and manages to remain a compelling protagonist throughout the film, keep character at the film's center.

"Apostle" is not a film that will appeal to a wide audience, but for fans of films like "The Wicker Man" or "The Devil Rides" out, this one is treat.