Apostle (2018)

★ 6.1 2h 9m 1,562 votes IMDb

Horror Mystery

In 1905, a man travels to a remote island in search of his missing sister who has been kidnapped by a mysterious religious cult.

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Cast

Dan Stevens as Thomas Richardson Age 43 · Croydon, London, England, UK Daniel Jonathan Stevens (born 10 October 1982) is an English actor. He first drew international attention for his role as Matthew Crawley in the ITV period drama series Downton Abbey (2010–2012). He...

Michael Sheen as Malcolm Howe Age 57 · Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK Michael Christopher Sheen (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor and political activist. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 19...

Lucy Boynton as Andrea Age 32 · New York City, New York, USA Lucy Boynton (born January 17, 1994) is a British actress. Her first professional role was as the young Beatrix Potter in Miss Potter (2006), for which she was nominated for the Young Artist Award for...

Mark Lewis Jones as Quinn Age 61 · Rhosllannerchrugog, Wrexham, Wales, UK Mark Lewis Jones is a Welsh film and television actor, born in Rhosllannerchrugog, Wrexham. He began acting as a teenager with the Clwyd Youth Theatre and trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music...

Bill Milner as Jeremy Age 31 · Surrey, England, UK Bill Milner was born on March 4, 1995 in Surrey, England as William Henry Milner. He is an actor and producer, known for Son of Rambow (2007), Anthropoid (2016) and Is Anybody There? (2008)..

Director Gareth Evans

Cast Dan Stevens, Michael Sheen, Lucy Boynton, Mark Lewis Jones, Bill Milner, Kristine Froseth, Paul Higgins, Richard Elfyn, Catrin Aaron, John Weldon

John Smith 1/10 Oct 13, 2018

This movie is anti-Christian. Look at the inverted cross in the name itself. It has an agenda - it's not just a movie. Do not watch it, do not let your close ones watch it either.

There are many more other good horror flicks out there who can do it without demonising religion (and not any or all religion, it specifically targets Christians).

Gimly 7/10 Jan 20, 2019

I think far too many movies that go for a similar vibe to _Apostle_ aren't willing to take that very important step into actually embracing your supernatural/fantasy/gothic elements. _Apostle_ on the other hand, goes full hog saying "fuck that", and in turn I'm saying "Please sir, may I have some more."

_Final rating:★★★½ - I really liked it. Would strongly recommend you give it your time._

Wuchak 5/10 May 31, 2019

***Mysterious first half devolves into muddled half-baked horror cheese***

A man in 1905 Wales (Dan Stevens) goes undercover as a member of a weirdo cult to save his captive sister on an isolated island.

"Apostle" (2018) has a similar plot to “The Wicker Man” (1973/2006) and a setting akin to “The Village” (2004) and “The Ritual” (2017), but it’s the least of these.

The first half is a decent set-up; a little dull, but nice and mysterious with a fantastic setting and village set. Unfortunately, the second half devolves into half-baked horror cheese with a couple of random torture scenes to supposedly keep things "exciting."

I was shocked at how bad the second half was -- bad flow, no finesse, ill-conceived, lack of consistency, too ambiguous -- just lousy wannabe-horror filmmaking. It’s like the director needed 20 more minutes to properly tell the story, but was pressured to keep the movie as close to 2 hours as he could and so clumsily forced the footage in the second half together.

Nevertheless, the movie's provocative upon reflection, particularly its commentary on human-made hybrid religions and the potential for corruption and abuse thereof. Think Jeroboam's syncretic religion when the northern kingdom of Israel broke from Judah; he concocted two golden calf idols and appointed illegitimate "priests." It was influenced by Judaism and featured some of its trappings, but left out the most important part (God).

The film runs 2 hours, 10 minutes and was shot in Wales. I would like to see a "Director's Cut" that runs at least 2.5 hours with all the expository footage that was unfortunately left on the cutting room floor.

GRADE: C (First half B- / Second half D)

Alunauwie 8/10 Sep 30, 2025

Apostle delivers a chilling blend of psychological thriller and dark fantasy with a well-paced buildup, strong performances, and eerie tension throughout. While some mythology remains vague, its unsettling atmosphere and layered narrative keep viewers gripped. An intense watch for fans of mystery and cult-based horror.

Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com) and (English version : uwiepuspita.com)