Stearns, 2014
Mary Winstead is great in this indie film about the attempted deprogramming of a cult member. Leland Orser is also good as the cult specialist.
Durkin, 2011
Another flick about a cult member. This time around, Elizabeth Olsen turns in a fine performance as the titular character, who takes off one misty morning in an effort to escape the cult she has been a part of for the past few years. She gets away fairly easily and calls her sister, who comes to pick her up, letting her stay with her and her husband in rural Connecticut. Escaping the damage the cult has done to her psyche is another story. I knocked a bit off the rating for an ending that was a bit too abrupt. I understand what the film maker was trying to achieve with the ending, but I am not sure it was entirely successful.
Batmanglij, 2011
It must have been cult weekend! This was pretty good, but could have been stronger with its narrative. However, I found Brit Marling's performance to be a bit haunting and I was sort of drawn to the actress, which has inspired me to seek out her other work.
Cahill, 2014
This film appeared on HBO this month and happens to star Brit Marling, so it was up next in her body of work. She didn't write this one, but she is one of the three leads. Not a perfect film, but I loved it. It definitely takes a few shortcuts dramatically, as characters jump from one situation to the next a little faster than they would, realistically. Alas, I found the concepts in the film compelling and I loved the characters, even if they were just sort of archetypes used to make certain points. Cynical science guy vs spiritual girl etc.. Meanwhile, Brit Marling is awesome, and I will continue to check out the rest of her work as soon as I can find time.
Del Toro, 2007
Chilling horror for Del Toro. Not his best work and lifts a bit from
The Others, but was definitely well done. A strong entry to the director's catalog.