Apostle

As soon as Evans goes into full horror mode, there’s hardly anything to complain about. Some of the scenes (the preparation of the brain, the meat grinder, the underground tunnels) are among the strongest that the genre has produced this year (and the competition is well above-average). It drags a little, however, when it tries to be more than just straightforward horror, especially with the relationships between the characters and their development. Paradoxically, although the film is a bit too long, I felt that those relationships were insufficiently drawn and their transformations rushed. For instance, in the second half there’s obviously an emotional bond between Thomas and Malcolm's daughter, but I have absolutely no idea where it came from. Nevertheless, Apostle is overall a good period horror film that in an interesting fashion blends the atmosphere of The Witch, Wicker Man the tales of Lovecraft, spicing it up with a pinch of gore. The main character of Dan Stevens also provides a very bizarre atmosphere. Throughout the film he appears to be on drugs, at the edge of madness, or as if someone had hit him on the head and he was about pass out. Dan can add another remarkable genre performance after The Guest. (20.10.2018)

Gloomy, mysterious, brutally dark and finally after a long time also anoriginal film about something mysterious, evil, but also provocative and compelling you to learn more about it. After a long time, Apostle made me experience fear. Revulsion, too, but the fear was stronger. It was caused by a religious sect, from which I didn’t know what to expect, so I was gaping at the screen, bowing down before the director and director of photography at places, because the pictures of terror they came up with sent shivers down my spine. I wondered when was the last time something on TV made me feel like this and I think it was when I watched the first season of True Detective. And that was quite a few years ago. (11.12.2019)

Dan Stevens goes to find his sister, who has been abducted by a strange cult from a remote island. But he discovers that this community has some ugly secrets that will soon raise hell. Action director Gareth Evans (The Raid) delivers a slow and very gritty film that isn't afraid to shy away from scares and relies on an interesting plot, good actors and a very uncomfortable atmosphere. Don't expect a classic horror film, though. (30.10.2018)

The Wicker Man 1905, where one would expect that based on the style and the course of the movie the screenwriter and director would be S. Craig Zahler rather than Evans. Despite many flaws (especially the unjustified length and not used holiday masks), this is a very nice movie, which does not bring much new to the sectarian thrilleroid-horror subgenre, but is so well captured, played out, intense, bizarre and packed with uncompromising atmosphere what we can hardly view as a bad thing. (13.01.2019)

Gareth Evans, director of The Raid , serves up uncompromising period horror on an isolated island with a religious cult. Dan Stevens (The Guest) travels to an island to free his kidnapped sister, but the local religious fanatics are up to no good and there's plenty of danger ahead. The only downside is the running time of 2 hours and 10 minutes, with the first hour being considerably slower, but the second is so full of gripping scenes that Apostle becomes a definite genre gem and a tribute to the original The Wicker Man. Bleak atmosphere, with solid gore, it's incredibly raw with an excellent villain, where besides Michael Sheen I think his buddy Mark Lewis Jones shone more (I had respect for the guy), and the music is also great. The scariest scene in my opinion is the grandma who appears in a tunnel full of sh*t. I loved the nice dose of mystery and mystique at the end. Evans showed that not only action is one of his triumphs, but he has no problem making an atmospheric historical horror film. If it wasn't for the weaker first half, it would be a clear five stars. 85% (15.10.2018)

Gareth Evans kehrt zum Teil zum Thema zurück, mit dem er mit seinem Segment in der Horror-Anthologie V/H/S/2 geglänzt hat. Der unterhaltsame Dan Stevens reist auf eine Insel, die von einer gefährlichen Sekte fanatischer Anhänger unter der Führung des exzentrischen Michael Sheen beherrscht wird, um dort seine entführte Schwester zu finden. Allerdings entdeckt er viel schrecklichere Dinge als erwartet, was für die meisten Insulaner überhaupt nicht gut endet. Obwohl Apostle über zwei Stunden dauert, nimmt er bereits in den ersten Minuten ein rasantes Tempo auf und wirft uns ohne unnötiges Geplänkel in ein spannendes Spiel um Leben und Tod. Am Ende können wir leider nicht um Klischees herumkommen, wenn der Hauptschurke seine Beweggründe erklären muss, die ihn zu seinen Taten führten. Dennoch tut dies der Unterhaltung des Films keinen Abbruch und das explosive Finale ist definitiv sehenswert. Außerdem hat Apostle eine unglaublich fesselnde Ausstattung und alle Szenen im Freien sehen wirklich prachtvoll aus. Gareth Evans hat sich hervorgetan und ich werde mir seine weiteren Regiearbeiten auf keinen Fall entgehen lassen. (05.10.2018)

Der psychopathische und finster dreinblickende Dan Stevens begibt sich in eine eigenartige Sekten-Community auf einer geheimen Insel, wo seine Schwester entführt wurde. Der Film behält von Anfang an eine besondere Atmosphäre und Tempo und gewinnt an Interesse, als der Hauptcharakter auf der Insel ankommt und langsam die Regeln der lokalen Bevölkerung und vor allem die seltsame Mythologie aufgedeckt werden, aufgrund derer die Gemeinschaft auf der Insel aufgebaut wurde. Doch dann beginnt die sektenhafte Kolonie von innen heraus zu bröckeln (leider), Nebencharaktere werden präsenter und die Geschichte des Hauptcharakters tritt in den Hintergrund. Der Film verliert in der zweiten Hälfte etwas an Fahrt, versucht dies jedoch mit dankbaren Szenen mit mittelalterlichen Lobotomien und Fleischwölfen zu retten. Abgesehen von den saftigen Gore-Szenen gibt es in diesem Horrorfilm nichts Besonderes, das an Evans' frühere Filme erinnert. (05.10.2018)

The British movie Apostle proves that the subject of fanatical religious cults is by no means exhausted. Movies like this still have a very strong potential, and you can definitely squeeze some great stuff from their potential. Apostle is a depressing, gritty, and sometimes even brutal movie that also tugs at your heartstrings and pulls it off quite well. (18.12.2020)