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 vuelve parcialmente al tema que le hizo brillar con su corto en la antología de terror V/H/S/2. Un Dan Stevens que sobreactúa de forma divertida llega a una isla gobernada por una secta de peligrosos fanáticos, dirigida por un excéntrico Michael Sheen, con la intención de encontrar a su hermana, que ha sido secuestrada. Pero encuentra cosas mucho más horribles de lo que esperaba, lo que no termina bien para la mayoría de los isleños. Aunque El apóstol dura más de dos horas, coge un ritmo ágil en los primeros minutos y, sin charlas innecesarias, nos sumerge en un emocionante juego de vida y muerte. Por desgracia, no se evita el cliché hacia el final, cuando el villano principal tiene que explicar todos los motivos que le han llevado a sus acciones, pero no resta diversión y el ardiente final merece la pena verlo. Además, El apóstol cuenta con un diseño de producción muy cautivador y los exteriores tienen un aspecto magnífico. Gareth Evans sobresale definitivamente, no me perderé sus próximas aventuras como director. [Sitges 2018] (05.10.2018)

Con el ceño fruncido psicopáticamente, Dan Stevens se aventura en una peculiar comunidad sectaria en una isla secreta donde su hermana ha sido secuestrada. La película mantiene su atmósfera y ritmo desde el principio y gana interés con la llegada del protagonista a la isla, donde las reglas de la población local comienzan a revelarse lentamente y, por encima de todo, la peculiar mitología que construyó la comunidad en la isla. Pero luego la colonia sectaria comienza a colapsar desde el interior por sí sola (desafortunadamente), los personajes secundarios comienzan a hablar más y la historia del protagonista entra en un segundo plano. Debido a esto, la cadena de la película caerá un poco en la segunda mitad, que busca salvar escenas gratas con una lobotomía medieval y un molinillo de carne. Excepto por las jugosas escenas gore, no hay nada que recuerde mucho a las películas anteriores de Evans en esta película histórica de terror. (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)