10 Horror Movies Where The Monster Isn’t The Scariest Part
8. Apostle
Gothic drama Apostle follows former missionary Thomas Richardson as he travels to a remote island to rescue his sister from a cult. According to the cult's leader, Malcolm, sacrifices must be made to The Goddess, who will then use her power to provide prosperity and protection to the community.
At first, it isn't clear if The Goddess is real or if Malcolm concocted this whole scheme to suit his own needs. But in the third act, Thomas confirms The Goddess's existence when he discovers the ancient deity inside a barn.
However, Thomas learns that The Goddess isn't an all-powerful being but a withered prisoner. Malcolm and his cohorts force-feed her sacrificial blood, compelling her to empower their community against her will. Not only that, Malcolm intends to impregnate his female subjects and sacrifice their offspring to The Goddess to sustain the cult indefinitely.
Thomas kills The Goddess as he intended, but performs the deed out of mercy rather than revenge, since he feels sorry for her. Although The Goddess is set up to be a master manipulator of Malcolm, it was the other way around.