cult hero is led by Jesse Thomas Cook and written by Kevin Reviefrom a story by Cook, Liv Collinsand Tony Burgess. Once upon a time Dale Domazar (Ry Barrett) was the star of the popular TV show cult breaker. He traveled across America, investigating and breaking up cults until a disastrous end to the season resulted in his fall from grace. Currently, Domazar is approached by real estate agent Kallie Jones (Collins), who asks for his help in saving her husband, Brad (Justin Bott). Brad went to a wellness center to “reconnect” with himself, but the behavior of the wellness center manager Master Jagori (Tony Burgess) and his employees lead Kallie to believe that Brad has been sucked into a cult.
I freely admire films that aim to schlock—The velocipastor, werewolfand even Venom: Let there be carnage. These the films had a delightfully gonzo premise that they carried through to the end. But more than that, they are fun. I really enjoyed them because the filmmakers, cast and crew had no pretense about what they were doing. Instead, they embraced the craziness of their setups, and while it wasn’t going to be critically acclaimed or nominated, at least you knew what you were getting. cult hero gets that half right: it has a great premise, but the execution falls flatter than a day old soda.
Much of this is due to the focus on Kallie. There’s no easy way to put it… Kallie is the ultimate Karen. She sticks her nose where it doesn’t belong, she loves meditation and embroidery, and one of her big lines of action is “I’d like to talk to your manager.” However, Cook’s heavily edited script and direction portrays her as strident and unlovable, to the point that viewers won’t blame Brad for seeking solace in the wellness center. Heck, after the final fight, my immediate thought was, “Brad should really file for a divorce from this woman.”
On the other hand, Barrett happily jumps into the role of Domazar. He has all the hallmarks of a Chuck Norris personality – overconfidence in his abilities, a surprising amount of skill in firearms and hand-to-hand combat, and a willingness to do whatever it takes. to stay on top. His energy is the best part of the film, as it serves to counterbalance Collins’ sharper performance and provides some of the best laughs in the film. For example, when Domazar comes up with an elaborate plan to infiltrate Jagori’s fortress, he is almost immediately discovered, all because he was wearing regular glasses instead of his sunglasses.
And as for the action sequences, cult hero really shines. Cook films them with the over-zealousness of a grindhouse movie; heads pop, blood covers the screen, and just about anything can be used as a weapon. There is also footage filmed to look like episodes of cult hero, and grainy images to the neon-soaked title, they’re perfectly 80s. The film even ends on a freeze frame!
cult hero squanders what could have been a great premise with a deeply uninteresting track, though its production value and violence have just the right amount of grindhouse value. Time will tell if it becomes a cult classic, but what it does has been done before and much better.
cult hero had its premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival 2022.
cult hero
6/10
TL; DR
cult hero squanders what could have been a great premise with a deeply uninteresting track, though its production value and violence have just the right amount of grindhouse value.
Collier “CJ” Jennings is a freelance journalist and film critic living in Seattle. He uses his love of comics and film/TV to write reviews and essays on genre projects. He is also a host on Into the Spider-Cast.