Taking a vacation at a beachside house, a couple initially writes off the hosts' friendly behavior as a weird form of hospitality until they realize that the behavior is actually a form of initiation to welcome them into a secret demon-worshipping cult for a strange water-going beast that lives nearby.
Overall, this was a highly enjoyable genre effort. The main facet to like with this one is the rather intriguing way this one winds up creating an eerie ambiance and unease with its setup. The trip to the coast and trying to get settled in while constantly having to deal with the owners' being around them doing whatever they want without much pushback in terms of overstepping boundaries makes for a rather fun setup. While bouncing back and forth between the idea of hospitality with the food preparations or just plain hanging out together while also pushing the boundaries with the video cameras secretly spying on them or offering hypnotic drugs to further entice them into their groups' way of thinking. This is a great way of getting things going with a great overall setup that introduces a subtly sinister air about the community that borders between friendly and sinister. This is then effectively paid off quite nicely with the actual means of their intentions being gradually revealed. The seduction attempts done on the husband where the owner and his wife try their tricks to great effect with the boat trip out to sea featuring the dream manipulation that shows something inhuman inside of her during the process to the behavioral changes they inflict upon him being away from her the entire time offers a rather intriguing sense of unease to the situation. With everything combining together to give her a sense that something isn't right in the community that's only fostered by the observations made with her friend and the continued change in behavior the husband exhibits, it all leads incredibly well into the final revelation about their intentions and plans. This comes together into a lot to really like about it. The film does have some issues with it. The main focus here is on the finale where it tends to become the wrong kind of film than it really should be. Rather than continue on the theme of the cult working with trickery and deception that adds a highly intriguing air to it, this section focuses instead on the outright reveal of the creature that the cult is praying to and what it looks like which feels completely out of tone compared to what we've seen until then. Not only that but by also seeing the whole act take place in an obvious if obscured manner, the whole sequence goes against the type and tone of the film established until then which was more cerebral and psychological. As well, that has some of the most obvious and underwhelming CGI for the creature which makes for a disappointing scene all around, making for the film's main flaws.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, Full Nudity, Graphic Violence, and Rape.
Overall, this was a highly enjoyable genre effort. The main facet to like with this one is the rather intriguing way this one winds up creating an eerie ambiance and unease with its setup. The trip to the coast and trying to get settled in while constantly having to deal with the owners' being around them doing whatever they want without much pushback in terms of overstepping boundaries makes for a rather fun setup. While bouncing back and forth between the idea of hospitality with the food preparations or just plain hanging out together while also pushing the boundaries with the video cameras secretly spying on them or offering hypnotic drugs to further entice them into their groups' way of thinking. This is a great way of getting things going with a great overall setup that introduces a subtly sinister air about the community that borders between friendly and sinister. This is then effectively paid off quite nicely with the actual means of their intentions being gradually revealed. The seduction attempts done on the husband where the owner and his wife try their tricks to great effect with the boat trip out to sea featuring the dream manipulation that shows something inhuman inside of her during the process to the behavioral changes they inflict upon him being away from her the entire time offers a rather intriguing sense of unease to the situation. With everything combining together to give her a sense that something isn't right in the community that's only fostered by the observations made with her friend and the continued change in behavior the husband exhibits, it all leads incredibly well into the final revelation about their intentions and plans. This comes together into a lot to really like about it. The film does have some issues with it. The main focus here is on the finale where it tends to become the wrong kind of film than it really should be. Rather than continue on the theme of the cult working with trickery and deception that adds a highly intriguing air to it, this section focuses instead on the outright reveal of the creature that the cult is praying to and what it looks like which feels completely out of tone compared to what we've seen until then. Not only that but by also seeing the whole act take place in an obvious if obscured manner, the whole sequence goes against the type and tone of the film established until then which was more cerebral and psychological. As well, that has some of the most obvious and underwhelming CGI for the creature which makes for a disappointing scene all around, making for the film's main flaws.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, Full Nudity, Graphic Violence, and Rape.