Apostle Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs
A grisly winner from Gareth Evans.
The latest film from acclaimed director Gareth Evans (The Raid franchise) is now available to stream on Netflix, and while it's a very different beast from his acclaimed duo of martial arts classics, it's nevertheless a bloody, suspenseful - and bloody suspenseful - success from the Welsh filmmaker.
Apostle revolves around Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens), a man who travels to a remote island in 1905 in order to rescue his kidnapped sister from a cult that resides there. Naturally, the cult's not so keen to hand her over without a fight.
Critics have generally been broadly positive in their praise for the horror film, even if some noted it as a bit of a comedown from the more ferocious intensity of his prior efforts.
In that respect, it's certainly worth reining your expectations in a little if you were hoping for relentless set-pieces on the level of The Raid films, because this just isn't that at all.
But thanks to a cracking ensemble cast, lashings of entrancing atmosphere and a twisty narrative, Apostle is a great addition to Netflix's library of left-field genre films.
If you're in the market for a moody, unsettling film to get you in the Halloween mood, you need look no further...