Atmospheric fantasy sees paladin Bhodie enter a cursed realm and die on repeat to rescue a red-haired maiden

Maybe it’s because of a sense that we are expendable parts in the great capitalist machine, that the endlessly repeating death trope has been increasingly respawning in movies – from Edge of Tomorrow to Mickey 17 and now this Canadian sword’n’sorcery caper. With its sisyphean vibe and implacable mood, it also owes a fair bit to the Dark Souls video games; though it’s not a masterpiece on that level, it nevertheless has a grim self-conviction that grips despite its low-budget limitations.

Paladin Bhodie (Jeremy Ninaber) – who apparently asked the barber for the Gondor bob and beard trim – agrees to enter a cursed realm to rescue red-haired maiden Avalon (Kristen Kaster), who is central to a humanity-saving prophecy. Needing to collect three magic stones to open up an exit portal,...