WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW
First, the Recap:
What IS the meaning of life? We’ve all wrestled with this concept at some point, perhaps even at multiple points, during our existence. While we might associate it with instances of self-reflection or self-doubt, what remains in our innate need to KNOW the precise answer if at all possible. However, when the query comes around due to us believing that life is nothing but suffering, and wanting an end to it is paramount, how extreme might we go to find the cessation we seek?
Experience with this is nothing new for a woman named Dee (Natasha Henstridge), who’s now sought out a means to finally be free of the burdens she’s been weighed down by. Arriving at the locale of a mysterious cult called the House Of Abraham, she meets its equally ambiguous yet undeniably bewitching leader, Abraham (Lukas Hassel), who ushers her and a small group of other guests into a reality where release is guaranteed, yet through a path that may not actually be what it appears.
Next, my Mind:
Beautifully crafted, purposefully executed psychological horror collides with a requisite dose of tension-fueled thriller elements to create an atmosphere of eerily calm yet ominous dread that builds and builds up to one devil of a twist while addressing lingering anguish, desperate decisions, and potentially darker machinations at work through this new indie feature film from director/producer Lisa Belcher, writer/executive producer Lukas Hassel, producers Melissa Kirkendall and Paul Merryman, along with executive producers Natasha Henstridge, Priscilla Hinton, Vance Hinton, Sidney Ganis, Wally Welch, Michael Frost, Terri Frost, Lin Shaye, Brunson Green, and Amanda Gibbs. Having no other way to put it, independent cinema again shines with the brightness of a thousand suns here in the ability to take the human condition, albeit at its lowest moments, and still make it compelling, awareness-raising, and unequivocally gripping all at once.
Through an ambiance that so deeply elicits a constant air of haunting ease and chilling unease, the narrative exploring one woman’s quest to be liberated from her own sense of hopelessness while being in the company of others looking to do the same via attending a weekend retreat run by a cult leader flows along at a perfect pace, allowing for said magnitude of growing unsettledness to truly sink in with adept potency. Given the foundational nature of what the cult and its frighteningly serene visionary offer to those who come to them, much less that it’s the WISH of those attending, could certainly be construed in the real world as one of the most controversial ideas encountered in history, highly debated especially in the 19th and 20th centuries. Yet, it IS this very theme that makes the film hold such weight and intensity in context of the narrative we’re given, and I give full measure of credit to Belcher and Hassel for how they’ve brought this to screen.
Mind you, it is still treated with an underlying dignity, meaning there is NO sense in itself of posturing or undue agenda-driven proselytizing with the primary thematic gist. Honestly, it’s totally opposite from that when it comes down to it. THAT is impressive to me, to see a film centered on the subject in such a way so as to deliver an unflinching view of it while in no way endorsing it. It is MEANT to cause you to be jarred and/or placed in a state of absolute disquiet, hence the mark of a well-executed horror/thriller, which is accomplished in spades, at least in this critic’s opinion. It IS that HUMAN factor, that baseline relatability of what it is to struggle with that which threatens to make us see life as an unrelenting burden rather than what it should be even IN strife–a blessing. Hardships, no matter how radically unnerving, CAN be overcome.
But, I will say in the context of this film, the mix of one awesomely constructed twist plus the finale we’re provided leaves you with such a deliciously conjecture-driven aura of discomfort, and that was a masterful stroke to showcase. The myriad of other thematic turns include dealing with the lasting imprint of trauma, the importance of our “rituals” as people, guilt, shame, rationalization/justification for rash choices and their impact on how we move forward, familial bonds, having overt fascination with death, the realities of what it IS to BE alive and to carry on in the wake of seeming unending despondency, second-guessing our choices, and how we can be so easily coerced in fractured states of being all get screen time here. This is a complete exercise in the fragility, but also ideally the resiliency, of the human spirit and WILL to survive, particularly when pushed to limits where logical reasoning (finally) kicks back in. This isn’t light-hearted material here, folks. It’s more scary that it’s still very relevant and necessary beyond a purely fictional backdrop, again a credit to Belcher, Hassel, & Co.
Speaking of Hassel, the veteran actor is one hundred percent on point, conveying a character that is both charmingly charismatic and understatedly, sinisterly contemptible though his role as Abraham, a cult leader with a plan for all who would enter his realm. At first, his collected, serenity-inducing, though very assertively insistent manner seems to transfix his guests, even as he only feels he’s there to grant them what THEY wanted to begin with. But, as events begin to unfold, and truths are made known, Abraham’s actual motivations and proclivities begin to show forth, leading everyone to wonder what the REAL endgame is for them. This is a magnificent study in exuding an emotive but placid sense of tranquility while likewise being creepy as heck, and for this critic, how Hassel embodies this kind of unhinged persona is simply noteworthy in itself, manifesting a character with such unexpected magnetic energy and drive, but burning with sheer manipulative tenacity and dark ambition. Basically, it’s one fantastic performance.
Not to be outdone by any means, fellow veteran Henstridge lends her well-honed abilities to her role as Dee, a woman under immense pressure to see her life’s struggles come to what most would assuredly see as an abrupt end. Coming to Abraham’s retreat upon having learned there might be such a road to release she desires, it doesn’t take Dee long to begin questioning the legitimacy of what he’s offering and why. As Dee chooses to remain skeptical and dig more and more as the weekend unfolds, it very soon becomes apparent that getting OUT of the retreat is a must–and far easier said than done. With Henstridge’s performance, we have an illustration of how to play a character with deliberately muted poise while then exploring definitive degrees of increasing vigor that wonderfully suits the narrative’s volatile nature as it progresses. This is a woman who’s on the edge of her own personal desperation then confronted with even shadier realities that she now must combat. Plus, a moment during the film’s literal final moment is delivered with a superbly subtle yet optimal impact that leaves you guessing about some things! Another great performance.
Primary supporting turns arrive first from the utterly unforgettable, scene-stealing Lin Shaye as Beatrice, Abraham’s right hand and assuredly an example of one “crazy old lady” in the most entertaining and very effectively disturbing ways. Marval A. Rex plays Alex, one of the other weekend attendees seeking the unique “freedom” Abraham offers but who could end up discovering along with Dee that all really isn’t well in “paradise”. Gary Clarke, William Magnuson, Khali Sykes, and Sean Freeland are Victor, Jonathan, Shannon, and Pierre, the rest of the retreat’s devotees who seem totally set on making the most of what they came for–but ARE they really? Kelsey Pribilski plays Dee’s mother, whom we find out had quite an influence on how her daughter’s state of mind was formed. Aria Goodson plays Dee as a young girl. Additional appearances are made by Lisa Belcher, Vance Hinton, Jeffro Hardwick, Kenneth Belcher, and Doug Kennedy.
So, in total, “House Of Abraham” is a wholly taut, engaging, disconcerting indie psychological horror/thriller that convincingly establishes a pertinent foundational, awareness-raising message while painting an unwavering portrait of the evil that men can be capable of and facing the reckonings forged by the past while bearing an explicit warning about being aware of the classic phrase “ask not for whom the bell tolls”…as the answer might not be to your liking…or benefit! The House is open. Do you dare to enter?
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
