Apostle (2018) User Reviews

Beware of high praise and scathing critique

[flynncam · 6/10 · 11 December 2018]

The people giving this film 10/10 are being too nice and those giving 1/10 are being overly critical. The truth, for whatever my opinion is worth, is somewhere in between. The acting is actually quite good, with Michael Sheen giving a particularly extraordinary performance. The setting is beautiful and the film overall beautiful to look at.

The concept is interesting as well and the first 45 minutes actually seem to fly by because the premise is so compelling; you'll want to know what's going to happen. Unfortunately, the plot seems to slowly deteriorate after that as Gareth Evans remembers that he needs to throw in a healthy amount of gore to please his greatest fans and the storytelling takes a serious hit in the process. It ends up somewhat confused and chaotic and not in an interesting way.

Apostle: Starts strong, trails off

[Platypuschow · 5/10 · 13 December 2018]

Apostle is another Netflix original, a collaboration between UK and US production companies and is certainly a memorable tale.

It tells the story of a man who visits a secluded island housed by a mysterious cult that have kidnapped his sister. But beneath the visage is something even more sinister than he could have possibly imagined.

It comes under the horror genre, I question that. Is it really? Thriller seems to suit it better.

Starring Michael Sheen in a truly excellent performance by him this grisly, dark, moody little film really got my attention early on but by about half way it seemed to have lost its way. Like the writer had a good idea but didn't know how to follow through with it.

I'm not saying Apostle is a bad movie, it has some great themes and looks great but from an entertainment perspective it finds itself somewhat lacking. I'm not a person who needs everything spelling out for him, I don't mind things being left open to interpretation but there is a fine line between that and just leaving things a tad too open.

Apostle is a watchable effort with some nice ideas but as for what they were actually aiming for I think it's a swing and a miss. Shame.

The Good:

Looks the part

Michael Sheen

A few decent ideas

The Bad:

Doesn't really come together very well

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Concerningly that lifestyle (Minus the religion) oddly appeals to me

Christian torture devices are the stuff of nightmares

A very intense horror film - and a potential cult classic.

[Councillor3004 · 12 October 2018]

Gareth Evans, most famously known for his films in "The Raid" franchise, has crafted an enchanting and thrilling potential cult classic surrounding a mysterious religious cult within a period horror story. With an atmosphere reminiscent of the famous Scottish film "The Wicker Man" (1973), perhaps even similar to 2015's "The Witch" to a certain extent, what Evans came up with is a tale of violence, revenge and hatefulnes, a tale in which love is punished and has no future. It's incredibly violent and nothing for those who can't bear the sight of blood and pain, but beneath the violence which is so indispensably linked to the core of the story, there is also a well-constructed plot filled with memorable characters. In so many horror films, you will have a memorable story, but weak characters you can't connect with, whereas with "Apostle", it's impossible not to get attached to most of these characters, or at the very least to feel interested in their ultimate fate.

Evans delves deep into personalities of his characters and confronts them with morally significant questions, in the process also benefiting from the strong cast he was able to assemble. Dan Stevens is a good actor, albeit with a limited acting range, but in "Apostle", he manages to get back to the roots of what made the 2014 film "The Guest" so great. In terms of going absolutely crazy, Dan Stevens' performance could even be compared to Nicolas Cage' acting in "Mandy", another potential cult thriller released just a few weeks ago. He was the perfect choice for the character of Thomas Richardson, and so was Michael Sheen for the prophet's role. Bill Milner, a rising British star who I think has a very interesting future in the business ahead of him, Mark Lewis Jones and Kristine Froseth add to a number of haunting supporting performances. In the end, "Apostle" is probably about twenty minutes too long; its material is not deep enough to justify a runtime of 130 minutes, and on the other hand, there are a few scenes which could have been cut for the purpose of making the film more fast-paced. However, that's something I didn't have much of an issue with, as I personally enjoyed the film tremendously from beginning to end. Not everyone is going to like it, perhaps due to the runtime, perhaps due to the violence, but even aside from my personal opinion, this film is well-directed and well-acted, the cinematography is superb and the plot just keeps getting more intense, more engaging, more and more thrilling after a slow, yet harrowing beginning. Reactions to this film are probably going to be divided, but I hope "Apostle" will nevertheless get the audience it deserves, as it is, in my humble opinion, on par with the best horror films of 2018.

Pretty good, but should've been better

[TwistedContent · 7/10 · 13 October 2018]

I was really hyped up for this one - I loved both "Raid" parts & folk/cult subgenre is one of my favorites in all things horror. I was expecting a sort of mashup of "The VVitch" and "Wicker man" (the original, of course), but what I got is a sort of a Lovecraftian "Wicker man", which is totally not bad. Let's start with the pros: amazing cinematography, decent acting, intriguing settings and well-done gore & fight scenes. That's enough pros to make a movie average or better than that. But what was wrong? Mainly pacing & plot. This could've easily been a 90minutes long horror flick, without losing much of the atmosphere. "The Apostle" was shook by a set-up too long, consisting of many uninterrupted long shots, walking, watching, staring etc., they were making suspense and doing an overkill at that. What about the plot? It's engaging enough (just enough), but ultimately fails to deliver some answers to some burning questions. To sum it up, it's an above-average Netflix original, a very decent horror film, average mystery drama & an entertaining watch for any folk/cult/religion/Lovecraftian loving horror fan. I give it a solid 7/10.

Little substance

[javan23 · 6/10 · 23 April 2019]

Great visuals, creepy atmosphere, however the story steadily loses its grip and devolves into sillyness.

Hugely disappointing

[hellholehorror · 3/10 · 17 October 2022]

This is not a fun film. It is nasty throughout. The production value is very high, it looks and sounds great. Letting it down is the concept, the bad writing and the boring arrogant directing. There was one shot where the camera spins around that must have been done on a technocrane which shows that they spent lots of money on it but it really takes away from the scene, they actually made that moment worse by using a distracting camera move purely for the sake of it. It really bothered me, if you use these cool bits of equipment then have a reason. Anyway the acting and casting are excellent. The genre is hugely inconsistent, it's mostly a thriller but sometimes it veers heavily into either horror, torture porn and supernatural. The supernatural elements are never addressed or resolved, in a frustratingly similar way that May (2002) dealt with these elements. The ending would have been good if the build up had led to it but it didn't. I also had a hard time believing that anyone would stay on the island and accept it as a way of life, especially if that had come from somewhere rather than being born into that life. They are complicit in the torture, unfazed, almost enjoying it. The graphic torture porn scenes didn't add anything to the film. They spend a long time setting up some characters and stories but sometimes they introduce a character only to kill them off in the same scene without any real engagement. Hugely disappointing waste of budget and talented cast and crew.

Its a sin that this film did not get a theatrical release.

[eliasmmorris · 9/10 · 12 October 2018]

I cannot believe there are any bad reviews for this film. I'll keep this brief.

This film is an absolute gift for anyone who loves true horror. Much like The VVitch it is a beautifully acted and written period piece set in the early 1900's. The pacing is perfect, the tone is driving and rhythmic, never was there a point during this film where I was bored. The characters were fleshed out and easy to empathize with. Overall I thought this was fantastic. I think it's almost a waste that its a netflix film and did not get a theatrical release.

Anyone who loves the idea of paganism, cults, religion without pandering to Christians (which is what The Conjuring does, even though I am a fan of those films), or period pieces will love this film. Do your self a favor and give it a chance.

Interesting and compelling thriller

[crom-dubh · 7/10 · 13 October 2018]

Not sure why all the very negative reviews. While not a masterpiece, I found this pretty enjoyable. Yes, if you're expecting the in media res of The Raid you're probably in for a disappointment, as this is a bit of a slower burn. There are some pretty intensely violent moments but they are in the minority. No, it is not a perfect movie, but I think it successfully segues from period piece to horror film pretty well. Some people will probably have a problem with the fact that it isn't enough of one or the other. It's a difficult film to classify and there are some narrative holes. But I think it has enough interesting elements, stand-out scenes, and general intrigue to warrant a 7/10.

good Netflix flick

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 7 November 2018]

Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) is on a mission to save his sister who has been kidnapped by a cult living on an isolated island. The leader Malcolm Howe (Michael Sheen) and two others started the community. Thomas sneaks onto the island. There is paranoid fear of the King's men and one assassin makes the attempt on Malcolm only to be saved by Thomas. Thomas discovers that the group is a supernatural blood cult.

This is The Wicker Man if that movie is any good. There is good tension and constant dread. It does need more in the introduction. At least, it should be clearer. It should start with him getting branded in China. That's a great scene and it could inject a little supernatural into the world. It also needs to declare the time and place more forcefully. Even with the two hour version, the intro needs more. Stevens and Sheen are both very solid. The visual imagination is beautiful. With the thick plot, it is a little choppy with many characters. A bit of trimming could help. Overall, this is a very good Netflix movie.

I mourn a great idea, directed to smithereens

[seiteom · 3/10 · 27 October 2018]

When watching Apostle, I get the same feeling as with some other bad movies in recent years. A lot is just right; there are really interesting and good ideas in the material, and most actors are okay, music quite good, and the visuals are great. But the direction and editing of the film just kills it. I think this is the basic incorrect assumption that moves the director in this case: the audience will totally buy anything that happens if it fits within the stereotypical narrative I signal at the start of the movie. A cultish and isolated community = brave but haunted individualists fight against weak but cynical communitarians that always become too dogmatic for their own good. If the film narrative is kept within those parameters, the audiences will totally buy everything. But that assumption is wrong. We, the audience, are capable of noticing when characters act out of character (happens a lot here), when people suddenly seem to have dressed up in black sacrifice clothes in seconds, or people change their opinions of each other between two scenes. Lesson learned: don't adapt everything to a stupid, stereotypical narrative. Instead, adapt the narrative to great ideas and interesting characters. I know it's hard, but that's what they pay you for! Anyway, I mourn the really interesting idea at the bottom of this train wreck of a film, as well as the great photography.

A unique horror flick

[ismamuzzaman · 7/10 · 30 May 2022]

A fascinating and thoroughly engaging film, with incredible direction, great performances, splendid cinematography and an unpredictable plot, even though there were some inconsistencies.

A fine horror movie.

[lucas_mrz · 7/10 · 9 June 2019]

It has been a while since I saw a good horror movie. Considering this is a very exploited genre and is hardly going to be something new, this movie is pretty good. It has an interesting and gripping plot, and reasonably unexpected turns. Overall entertaining.

Eerie, dark horror story

[zachmetzgers · 7/10 · 12 December 2021]

This is a slow burn, and if you're in the mood for creepy tone and a period setting, go for it. It's not a jump-scare edge of your seat horror movie at all. Keep that in mind - it's a supernatural psychological thriller/drama and Dan Stevens is great in it.

A totall mess

[jovanovicjelena · 2/10 · 25 October 2018]

Just a pointless totall mess. Seems like the director had ideas for at least 17 movie plots and decided to combine them in this one. Absolutely nothing makes sense.

The death of period horror

[Muggydog1979 · 13 October 2018]

This film is desperately awful. Especially surprising since some respected commentators have lavished it with praise. Michael Sheen insists on reminding us he's from Wales. We don't care. I wanted to be overwhelmed with fear, not by his absurdly ham-fisted Welsh accent. To say this film lacks dramatic core is to say the Hindenburg had a rough landing. Derision won't stoop to comment any further. I can't recommended it. Obviously.

Good mystery and thrills, especially early on, but too uninspired to be great.

[TheFilmGuy1 · 7/10 · 12 October 2018]

A mix between a film like Black Death and the gory, weird elements of Resident Evil 4 (The game, not the 4th movie, just to be clear.)

I will say the first half had me pretty hooked. I really liked the setting and the mystery, even if it did feel like something that has been done in other films before. As the film went on, I think that slight lack of originality grew and grew until I felt more disconnected to the story line. Aside from some fun gore, the third act while well directed didn't really deliver anything that felt new, which was a big hindrance.

I think Gareth Evans did a fairly solid job here, seeing as this is the first feature (that I know of) he has done that is more story based. It was a little jarring seeing that slightly shaky, The Raid style camera work popping in even for the slightest of violent moments, but it didn't take me completely out of it aside from me halfway expecting some huge fight to break out and Iko Uwais to pop up.

I think this has some interesting mystery early on, but the reveals and eventual conclusion feels a bit uninspired and weak compared to how it feels in the first act.

Visually stunning garbage

[brendan-821-654855 · 2/10 · 15 October 2018]

The new Netflix film Apostle is 2 hours of my life I'll never get back again. Unlikeable characters, gratuitous violence, clunky and pretentious dialogue, plot incoherence, and if the pacing was any slower it'd be going backwards. A film so bad only professional critics will like it.

Wow that was intense.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 6 November 2018]

It really does surprise me that this film didn't get a big theatrical release, logically I don't really understand why. Its original, has a great cast and boasts a terrific story line. The cinematography is terrific, it had superb production values, it really looks slick and very well made. I can't decide who stands out in particular, but the acting in general is exceptional, with Michael Sheen perhaps ending the charisma stakes.

It's a very macabre storyline, possibly the reason for its lack of release, if you've seen The Witch, that's a good idea of the tone you'll get here, very dark to the point of being bleak.

This isn't for everyone, but I loved it. 8/10

This isn't a perfect movie and the ending could have been a little better but I enjoyed watching the movie unfold

[kevin_robbins · 7/10 · 14 May 2021]

Apostle (2018) is a movie I recently caught on Netflix that centers around a brother long lost and believed to be dead by his family. He returns home to London to discover his sister has been kidnapped and held for randsome by a religious cult. Since everyone thought the brother was dead he seems to be the perfect person to try and infiltrate the cult and rescue his sister. Apostle is directed by Gareth Evans (The RAID 1 & 2) and stars Dan Stevens (The Guest), Richard Elfyn (Killer Elite), Paul Higgins (Utopia) and Bill Milner (Son of Rambow). The storyline is interested and reminded me of Hereditary just not as good. The acting, settings, props, costumes and kill scenes are all outstanding and very well assembled and executed. The acting was also solid and the storyline is worth following. This isn't a perfect movie and the ending could have been a little better but I enjoyed watching the movie unfold. I'd give it a 6.5-7/10 and recommend viewing it once.

Absurd and WAY too long

[mamalbg · 2/10 · 15 October 2018]

This movie is just a marathon of stupidity. There's no real Suspense or horro. It's just backstabbing religious nuts with some teen girls wearing too much makeup

There was a point I figured it had to be wrapping nil already after what seemed like endless boring pointlessness , and there was another hour to go.

I really don't u understand the 10 star ratings. Save tourself some time and skip this

Think Wicker Man, but with a more classical plot

[siderite · 7/10 · 25 February 2021]

I think Dan Stevens was a very good choice for this film: his haunted look, "the eyes that have seen things", also his rather average build which makes him more relatable. The story starts like Wicker Man, with our man going to a weird island that a weird cult settled. He wants to saves his sister, which was abducted and being ransomed for money. You see, the locals are starving, regardless of the protection of their goddess. Slowly, a combination of good old human politics and witchery is revealed while the hero must save the day.

I think the ending was a bit weak, though. Too many twists, one after the other, and people behaving in a certain way just to make the story go in the right direction. Probably the writers cared more about the beginning than the ending, which was quite a mess. I think the fact that Thomas readily found allies in the community there (including the beautiful and innocent girl - you gotta have one of those, right?) also weakened the story. As for the supernatural part, it felt like a gimmick, something that could have been just as easily removed from the film without anyone missing it.

Bottom line: better than your average horror and the fact that it is an era piece makes it feel more grounded. However, the more you run the setup in your head you realize better stories could have been told with the same resources. The bad ending makes the movie go down quite a lot.

Extremely unpleasant and difficult to endure

[reverend_rapture · 28 October 2018]

Extreme, unnecessary violence difficult to stomach while being boring at the same time. Waste of Dan Stevens' efforts. I thought that whole island goddess thing will have some explanation or resolution, but it didn't. Why put those flashback in there at all when they explain nothing. Avoid.

Unfulfilled Potential!

[SoumikBanerjee1996 · 6/10 · 15 September 2020]

"Apostle" is beautifully shot & in a similarly gorgeous location that undeservingly finds its merits only in blood & gore. The characterization is where it particularly falters the most!

Another Netflix original with unscathed potential; deliberately wasted due to overambitious nature of the makers. For the first act, we have been introduced to the characters one by one, slow progression with enough errieness to satisfy our deeds. In the second act, it starts to heavily rely on the gore aspect. Although I like their efforts as I have always been an admirer of unsettling, disturbing things! More so in horror films. You can call it my "Niche" if you say so! Having said that, I still feel that the film had lots of other good things to offer. That didn't come to light as the makers were so busy indulging themselves in raw blood!

Performances are decent, but characterizations aren't. I don't feel any sort of connection nor empathy towards any of those characters. Especially pointing out the brother-sister relationship between Thomas & Jennifer. The bond was absent, their characters never got developed. Which should have been the utmost priority keeping the premise in mind.

Talking about the cult and their beliefs. Well not going into much details; I just wanna say it lacked enough clarifications. Absence of a proper backstory affected its mere existence. Whereas the creepy vibe was consistent; the screenplay wasn't.

So in short, it's a fine watch, definitely not for the faint hearted. This targets a specific group of audience who might oversee its shortcomings for the violence it profoundly presents! Proceed only with caution.

The Modern Wicker Man

[jack_o_hasanov_imdb · 7/10 · 19 July 2022]

The cinematographer of the movie did a great job.

Gareth Evans was a director I had heard of but had not seen his films. I liked this movie. Acting was good. I also liked the ending of the movie. It's a bit long for a movie like this, but it's a good movie. But it's like something missed in the movie, but I didn't know what. It could have been better. But like I said, it's a good movie.

Believe The Bad Reviews

[davidvr-12784 · 1/10 · 16 October 2018]

I never write reviews, not usually worth my time. However if even one person reads this review amongst all of the bad reviews and save themselves a couple hours of their life, it's worth it.