thao

I'm a theologian which is why I love studying cults. It's not often I come across a series that explains this well why people go into cults, how they start, and why they usually end in horror.

A cult needs a strong charismatic leader to hold everything together and create enough faith in them that people are willing to go along without a question. The positive aspect of that is that you create a very united social group with meaning, unlike the outside world where people are lost and lonely. The dangerous side of a charismatic leader is that he will almost always go crazy and abuse his power (usually within 20 years).

Synanon was a fascinating group because it was not a religion (even though they formed a church for tax reasons). This gives us a chance to investigate a cult without having to deal with people's belief in God and so on. It's just a group of people united in their admiration of a brilliant but very flawed and sick man.

This was not the worst cult out there but it could easily have turned so much worse if it had been based on religious writings and a belief in a higher power. That being said, there is more than enough insanity here for those who love watching series like this for that reason. There are better and more shocking examples out there but this will still give you your kick. If you are however like me and want to understand why people join and how groups like these work, then this is as good as it gets.

My kind of film. Incredibly beautifully filmed and all the shots are so well thought out. There is not a single shot that feels out of place, rushed, or compromised. This may sound like a strange observation but those who have made films will know what I'm talking about. Julian Higgins directs the hell out of this slow burner.

God's Country tells a simple story about an escalating conflict but it can also be seen as a take on what is happening in the USA today. This dialogue from the film captures the essence perfectly:

• "I wonder sometimes, why do you choose to be the person you are."
• "Like you're just whatever happened before you? Maybe it takes some kind of sacrifice to break the cycle."

What happens when no one is willing to sacrifice to break the cycle? When everyone just reacts to what happened before them? Are they masters of their destiny or just puppets of history - controlled by their past and the past of those who came before them?

A profound and poetic masterpiece.

This might be the best feature film Brandon Cronenberg has made but that does not mean much. I did not care much for Antiviral. Possessor was fine.

My problem with Brandon is that I feel his scripts are half-cooked. He gets a great idea but never works it to the end. It's like he gives up after 3rd draft. I also think he does not know how to structure a scene. The frames are usually a little too tight, the placement of the camera a little off, and a lack of total shots that could help make the scene work. It's all very muddled. Confusing and frankly amateurish.

As for this film. It has three brilliant scenes that show clearly that Brandon could do something wonderful in the future. I'm thinking of the drugged/psychedelic scenes. They are very avant-garde. One of them, a sex scene, is simply marvelous. I usually hate sex scenes in films. Not because I have any problem with the human body, but rather because most of them are so very ordinary and add nothing to the story. The sex scene here is original and important.

Well acted, cool idea but sadly only half-cooked and badly served dinner.