by Paul Costello
Cults used to enjoy a bit more focus in film, particularly throughout the 70s, most likely a reaction to the public’s shock at and curiosity with the seemingly heightened concern in cult activity, seen most notably in the Manson Family murders and the Jonestown massacre. Suddenly cults were all over the place in film, from Rosemary’s Baby to The Omen, from The Wicker Man to Apocalypse Now. Activity and interest seemed to subside from mainstream media consciousness, only briefly coming back again when the Branch Davidians at Waco were spread across the news in the aftermath of an FBI siege in 1993. However, nearly two decades on, the notion of cults has crept back into film. 2007’s Borderland, 2011’s Red State and 2013’s The Sacrament all take audiences into the dark heart of religious indoctrination, with decidedly gruesome results. Even the less grisly stories, like Martha Marcy May Marlene and The Master, have looked into the psychological damage wrought upon the victims of cults and their leaders. With the latest offering into this sub-sub-genre of films about cults, writer-director Riley Stearns has crafted an impressively controlled debut feature in Faults.
Cults used to enjoy a bit more focus in film, particularly throughout the 70s, most likely a reaction to the public’s shock at and curiosity with the seemingly heightened concern in cult activity, seen most notably in the Manson Family murders and the Jonestown massacre. Suddenly cults were all over the place in film, from Rosemary’s Baby to The Omen, from The Wicker Man to Apocalypse Now. Activity and interest seemed to subside from mainstream media consciousness, only briefly coming back again when the Branch Davidians at Waco were spread across the news in the aftermath of an FBI siege in 1993. However, nearly two decades on, the notion of cults has crept back into film. 2007’s Borderland, 2011’s Red State and 2013’s The Sacrament all take audiences into the dark heart of religious indoctrination, with decidedly gruesome results. Even the less grisly stories, like Martha Marcy May Marlene and The Master, have looked into the psychological damage wrought upon the victims of cults and their leaders. With the latest offering into this sub-sub-genre of films about cults, writer-director Riley Stearns has crafted an impressively controlled debut feature in Faults.
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