*Originally written October 12th, 2018*
It's a rare thing to get a good Netflix Original film, it's even rarer to get a great one. Despite the inclusion of Gareth Evans, Dan Stevens and the atmospheric trailers, I had my reservations about Apostle. Netflix have the supreme talent of wasting excellent crews on films that end up being utterly mediocre. To my surprise, Apostle is one of Netflix's best films and one of the best horror films of the year so far.
Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) finds himself on a remote island populated by a cult run by Prophet Malcolm (Michael Sheen) as he attempts to find his kidnapped sister as he uncovers the more insane and disturbing goings on on the island. There's clear inspiration to The Wicker Man here, but with Evans kinetic direction, it feels like a Wicker Man homage on crack.
I was unsure at how Evans would do with horror after doing so well with action. Thankfully though, he is a very safe pair of hands, his direction reveals some shocking and horrific moments of brutality and he really knows how to build suspense and create an atmosphere. The design of the island is gorgeous, filled with some incredible cinematography. This is one of those Netflix films that actually looks like a film too, not a glorified, made-for-TV film with a budget. It also looks fantastic with Netflix's 4K output. I really wish they'd release some of their films on UHD.
There's a slow build up to the action and gore heavy second half, but it's all worth the wait. Evans stretches every moment of tension out as long as he can without it feeling unwelcome. I could argue the film is a bit too long, but I was pretty engrossed most of the time to argue that. I just wish I got to see this on a big-screen and not at home. I imagine I would have loved this even more in a cinema.
Once things do kick off in the second half, it is extremely nasty and grotesque. When people die in this film, they die. There are some utterly vile and painful to watch kills in Apostle and it really justifies that lovely 18 rating it got the UK. Evans does not shy away from any of the brutality, even some of the close to martial arts stuff is pretty brutal. It's not quiet as frantic and choreographed as The Raid 2 for instance, but it's a very welcome addition to a horror film.
Where Apostle does falter a bit is with its characters, there's not really a lot there in terms of character. Dan Stevens does a wonderful job with his performance and with some of the more physical stuff, but I just there was more there with his character. His motivation is pretty sound and easy to get behind, but some forced flashbacks are a bit shoe-horned in to flesh out his character, but don't always work.
Some viewers might find things a little too weird and ambiguous with the goings on in the cult. The final shot is bound to raise questions and leave the viewer wondering what the hell just happened (As it did with me), but it made me want to rewatch it again in the future. World building and mystery is definitely something Apostle does very right.
Apostle isn't without its problems, but for a Netflix Original film, it is damn excellent. A dark, brutal and involving mystery horror with gorgeous direction and a solid lead performance from Dan Stevens. I'll always just wish I got to see it in cinema though.
8/10 Dans
Apostle is streaming now on Netflix worldwide
Watch the trailer below:
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