Hey gang, Valkor here. One requirement for making my cool list, when it comes to films, is that you must ultimately grab my attention. It doesn't matter the genre. So long as you're able to maintain my focus, you're in! For example, I reviewed a found-footage film called Evidence some years ago. It didn't have much going for it, but the ending was explosive! And for that reason, I highly recommend checking it out. Next up on the TOV docket is Cult Girls. It may not have a wild ending like Evidence. However, it does build up to something worthwhile. Spoilers ahead.
Cult Girls centers on a young woman named Dalia (Saara Lamberg), who spent the younger years of her life living in a cult called the Golden Path. She's also labeled as the chosen. But more on that in a bit. But her life and those of the compound are rocked as the place is raided. One of the members attempts to help her and some of her cult sisters escape. But only Dalia is able to get away. Moving forward, we see an older Dalia who is determined to uncover what happened to two of her sisters after they split up. This leads her to Sam (Dean Kirkright), who takes notice of Dalia because of her tattoo and its links to the Golden Path cult. He knows where to find the leader of the cult, Moloch (Albert Goikham), whom Dalia is seeking because he may have the answers to what happened to her sisters. Moloch tells her the story of how both sisters were able to escape. But one didn't make it. Ultimately, this leads to Dalia meeting her fate as the newest mistress of the cult, replacing the former mistress who died soon after the raid on the compound.
Cult Girls comes at the time when spooky season is upon us. And while you might have your choice of classic horror such as A Nightmare on Elm St, Friday the 13th, or even Halloween, it never hurts to mix things up and try something new. Cult Girls won't be the scariest film you'll come across. However, it's definitely worth watching. And I'll tell you why in the TOV Breakdown.
The Good:
From the start, Cult Girls took some time to get into as it jumps back and forth in time. And it's not all that seamless. One minute you're watching Dalia's past. And the next, you're back in the present day. And I was left wondering how did we get from one point to the other. But once we got into the meat of the story, that's when things started to get interesting and Cult Girls grabbed my attention. The film has an engaging story with a bunch of themes including paganism and eroticism. Plus, it has an almost 70s-style feel to it. There isn't a lot of action, but the imagery is enough to give you the chills; A prime example is the masks on the henchmen that creep me out even post watching the film. I thought the acting, overall, was pretty decent. But the biggest standout would have to be Albert Goikham as Moloch. He was amazing! And gave me the chills once he fully stepped into the picture. In the end, Cult Girls might have been produced on the low. But the quality, in terms of an engaging story and modest acting is definitely on the high side.
The Bad:
For me, the film has a rough start. It's not enough that it made me want to turn it off. But it was a bit confusing. Like I said above, it's more of the back-and-forth with the time. It works better mid-film. Just not so much at the start.
The Ugly:
N/A
Cult Girls is now available on streaming platforms such as Tubi or Amazon Prime Video (Tubi is the better option). It's an engaging film that weaves a dark and twisted tale that should become a cult classic. I highly recommend checking it out. And out of TOV 5 stars, I'm giving Cult Girls a solid 4.