Warning: This article contains movie spoilers.

“You’re like one of those brainwashed missionaries,” Georgia Eyers’ character Lara fumes to her husband Ron (Dan Ewing). Her remark cuts deep into Ron’s faith. But he never wavers. He doubles down on his delusions, even if they harm those he loves. The conversation, during which Lara convulses and seemingly switches personalities, brings up questions about blind religion, science, and mental health. Throughout Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism, director Nick Kozakis confronts extremism and how it so easily spreads like a contagion.

Set in 1994, the film takes place in Eastfield, Australia and follows Lara and Ron as they contend with Lara’s ailing mental health and Ron’s belief that it’s a spiritual matter. Lara has been found more than once dancing naked on the front lawn. She’s been hallucinating, mostly images of a horned beast with scaly, fiery-red skin. While...