Apostle (2018)
October 25, 2018 1:24 PM - Subscribe
In 1905, a man travels to a remote island in search of his missing sister who has been kidnapped by a mysterious religious cult. Stars Dan Stevens (Legion) and Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex). Written and directed by Gareth Evans (The Raid: Redemption). A Netflix original.
I really liked parts of this, but don't think it quite worked as a whole. Plus it was too long.
I wanted more of the (spoiler alert) blood goddess. I was hoping we'd get her bloody vengeance instead of the ending they provided.
Also, what was the story with her basket-head acolyte dude?
posted by Fence at 3:14 PM on October 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
I wanted more of the (spoiler alert) blood goddess. I was hoping we'd get her bloody vengeance instead of the ending they provided.
Also, what was the story with her basket-head acolyte dude?
posted by Fence at 3:14 PM on October 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
I agree with Fence.
Also I think...the structure was off. The movie seems about to climax and then veers off with the young lovers and then the insurrection plot AND THEN we get the climax. It seemed awkward.
But overall, it really worked for me. I think this has more to do with the strength of the cast than the strength of the script. But I also like the mystery about it. I hope they won't do sequels and just let the movie stand alone.
posted by miss-lapin at 4:02 AM on October 28, 2018
Also I think...the structure was off. The movie seems about to climax and then veers off with the young lovers and then the insurrection plot AND THEN we get the climax. It seemed awkward.
But overall, it really worked for me. I think this has more to do with the strength of the cast than the strength of the script. But I also like the mystery about it. I hope they won't do sequels and just let the movie stand alone.
posted by miss-lapin at 4:02 AM on October 28, 2018
Dan Stevens has definitely got the crazed-out-of-his-mind antihero thing down to a science now.
The Raid movies are really high on my personal great films list and I watched this because of Evans. He's one of the current best directors out there as far as scene creation/atmosphere and just overall technique but he needs a good story editor or something because his films tend to peak and valley a lot.
I kind of thought basket-head was probably a human child born during the curse and why Quinn went off the rails about his daughter.
At first I was a little disappointed it went into the "gods are real" realm instead of just "humans are awful" realm but I think that was the point. My takeaway was it doesn't matter how pure your faith is, or how benevolent your god, some man will usurp everything and the kids will suffer for it.
posted by M Edward at 6:25 AM on October 28, 2018
The Raid movies are really high on my personal great films list and I watched this because of Evans. He's one of the current best directors out there as far as scene creation/atmosphere and just overall technique but he needs a good story editor or something because his films tend to peak and valley a lot.
I kind of thought basket-head was probably a human child born during the curse and why Quinn went off the rails about his daughter.
At first I was a little disappointed it went into the "gods are real" realm instead of just "humans are awful" realm but I think that was the point. My takeaway was it doesn't matter how pure your faith is, or how benevolent your god, some man will usurp everything and the kids will suffer for it.
posted by M Edward at 6:25 AM on October 28, 2018
I don't think everything entirely came together here, but I like Dan Stevens and I like how freakin' crazy he looks the entire time.
posted by graventy at 4:03 PM on November 5, 2018
posted by graventy at 4:03 PM on November 5, 2018
Just finished this tonight. Agreed that it was a little all over the place in terms of story, and there were enough plot lines to fill a mini-series (which I would watch), but it was gorgeous. The effects, the costumes, the scenery... I love period pieces and the very early 1900s are a personal favorite.
I do wish we could have seen more of the goddess' power and revenge, though. I went from being naturally very suspicious of her, to wanting to see her take revenge on the men who imprisoned her. I broke the film up into two watch sessions just because of time constraints, and for a movie it was a little long, but for what they tried to do it was very short. Oh well. It was a hell of a fun watch regardless.
posted by lesser weasel at 6:55 AM on March 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
I do wish we could have seen more of the goddess' power and revenge, though. I went from being naturally very suspicious of her, to wanting to see her take revenge on the men who imprisoned her. I broke the film up into two watch sessions just because of time constraints, and for a movie it was a little long, but for what they tried to do it was very short. Oh well. It was a hell of a fun watch regardless.
posted by lesser weasel at 6:55 AM on March 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
So, I don’t watch a ton of horror, but I really enjoyed this. I watched it because I like seeing Dan Stevens running around being unhinged, and it certainly delivers on that score, but I also really dug the ultimate reveal of what the “villain” actually was and the whole journey that Stevens’ character goes on, ending with a kind of “conversion”/perverse rediscovery of faith. It maybe went on too long but for me it stuck the landing, and it went some places I was absolutely not expecting.
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:04 PM on October 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:04 PM on October 18, 2020 [1 favorite]
I watched this tonight, and did not enjoy it. It was far too torture porn-y for my liking. Dan Stevens was really good though, as was the rest of the cast.
posted by orange swan at 9:23 PM on October 13, 2023
posted by orange swan at 9:23 PM on October 13, 2023
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"I belong to an insane death cult that worships an ageless blood eater."
"You can't scare me. I've met ... [Dramatic pause] THE CHINESE!"
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:26 PM on October 26, 2018 [1 favorite]