While humour sits centre stage, Cult’s final scenes are ultimately a far more emotionally impactful exploration of social control, as the closed-community relationships and humour are suddenly replaced by something far more profound in its construction.
Luke Ibbetson’s debut feature film shines with originality, humour and engaging performances in a superb mockumentary that follows the final few months of a Cornish cult called F.A.T.E. (Friends at the End). There, we meet a small band of followers patiently awaiting the arrival of a comet that will destroy the world. However, with dwindling numbers and crops failing (leaving them a diet of nothing but potatoes), the intrepid and deluded band of followers desperately tries to recruit new members. Their passion takes them onto the streets where they hand out flyers daily as the documentary crew intentionally watches from a distance, and Jon Pointing provides our commentary.
Central to the small group, the young, eager and innocent Comet (Calvin Crawley) keeps spirits high. While serial cult member Beck dreams of sacrifice, as all the different groups she has been a part of merge into one fiery persona. Then there’s Manaus, who traded his life in a band for the seclusion and safety of F.A.T.E., while retaining his love of magic mushrooms. Meanwhile, sex-starved Angela (Jacqueline Kirwan) dreams of engorged willies, and new girl Rachel has joined the group after meeting Comet outside a rehab facility, her recovery far from complete. Rachel introduces a new dynamic of freedom and exploration to the cult members. Still, with the deadly comet just weeks away, even her new influence may not be enough to steer the group away from their final act of sacrifice.
The resulting film revels in the unique ability of mockumentaries to reflect both the absurdity and the reality of human experience, layering a vibrant, intelligent comedy with a far more sincere exploration of loneliness and group belonging. While humour sits centre stage, Cult’s final scenes are ultimately a far more emotionally impactful exploration of social control, as the closed-community relationships and humour are suddenly replaced by something far more profound in its construction.
Cult is now streaming on Prime Video.
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