10/12/18 - Apostle (2018) - 6-/10

A vicious Victorian era Wicker Man-esquire tale of belief, revenge, and horrific death. It was enjoyable, gruesome and so very beautiful. Gareth Evans, who made The Raid, brings a staggering look (along with his cinematographer Matt Flannery) and his usual intensity. Perhaps not quite the next Scorsese yet, but certainly talented and bringing films that I want to see. This one isn’t perfect, but a taught treat to feast upon.

A successor to a film like Bone Tomahawk in that it is sparingly grotesque, but it goes for the throat when it does. Never as intensely, but the horror and pain is the same. I would assume if you liked that genre effort that you will enjoy this one.

Gareth Evans and his DP are the real deal. While a simplicity may inhabit it’s interior and ideally lessen what it can do, it blends a beauty of shot, technique, color, lighting, and vision. His action pieces are still strong but he blended a flair for drama and torturous horror. Its depths are superficial but the film works by doing the straightforward with a fervor.

The main actor (Dan Stevens) is a vibrating totem of pain, vengeance, and addiction. He brings a believable heft to his painful role. Sheen is strong in his twisted cult leader persona.

The film may not explore much new or too exciting. It doesn’t dally or leave much room for breathing varied life into the surroundings, characters, or any type of epistemological examination of the possible supernatural elements. They are placed in their horror playpen and used as such. It is direct, almost to a fault. But, again like The Raid, Evans uses that stripped down nature to make a compelling and driven “point A to death” tale. For me, it worked.