As the old adage goes: if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Real utopias don’t exist and there’s no such thing as perfection and bliss. While admittedly nihilistic, this sentiment also protects us from hidden dangers lurking all around. When we wander into an ostensibly flawless environment, it helps to take a peek behind the curtains and examine the truth behind artful set dressing.
Mark Anthony Green’s harrowing film Opus begins with just such a gift as music journalist Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri) receives a luxurious gift basket from world-famous pop star Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich). Doubling as a high-end Swag Bag, this opulent basket also includes a copy of Moretti’s highly anticipated new EP and a coveted invitation to an early premier. She and five industry veterans will be taken on an exclusive retreat to the singer’s private residence where they will dine with Moretti himself before enjoying an intimate performance of his new work.
But Ariel is skeptical of this magnanimous gift. Arriving at the compound, she notices that the other residents all wear the same clothes, have a god-like devotion to the aging pop star, and were brought in by the same mysterious call. And she’s right to be skeptical. Moretti’s home has all the classic signs of a dangerous cult stronghold, from ominous tents and nonsensical requests to complete disconnection to the outside world.
Perhaps she watched a lot of horror? After all, the horror genre is filled with similar locations, each featuring their own brand of insidious danger. Though picturesque or unique in some way, each of these outwardly normal locations seems to hide sinister intent behind a bright veneer of perfection. So, as A24’s Opus welcomes new members to its cult this weekend in theaters, we’re looking back at all the compounds that have taught us to never fall for such fortunes.
Hälsingland – Midsommar (2019)
Dani (Florence Pugh)’s trip to Sweden is already ill-advised. Her relationship with Christian (Jack Reynor) is on the rocks, she’s still grieving the horrific death of her family, and she knows that no one really wants her to come. But her spirits rise just moments after walking through a sunny archway into the bright and cheerful world of the Hårga. Dressed in white, the residents of this cheerful utopia dote on Dani while encouraging her to rest, relax, and find her true self. It’s not till a ritual suicide known as an ättestupa shocks the vulnerable young woman into awareness.
Perhaps there’s something malevolent about the caged bear lounging on the lawn or the grinning redhead who seems infatuated with Christian. When her new friends depart without saying goodbye, Dani starts questioning the Hårga’s intentions. Unfortunately, it may be too late to make her escape. Even if she could, Dani’s far too invested in the actions of her toxic boyfriend than the dangers staring her right in the face. And after all, considering what’s waiting for her back at home, could this deadly cult be the supportive family she’s always wanted? Ari Aster’s devastating film is a modern cult classic that dares us to question how much we would give for the freedom of unconditional love.
The Somafree Institute – The Brood (1979)
Like Dani, Nola Carveth (Samantha Eggar) is dealing with a painful breakup and enrolls in the Somafree Institute to address her deteriorating mental state. Known for his pioneering work in psychoplasmics, the renowned Dr. Raglan (Oliver Reed) takes a special interest in her unique case. Nola is given a private suite and extensive sessions every day at the luxurious facility. While this nontraditional therapy seems to be helping, Dr. Raglan’s treatment produces a dangerous side effect.
Adjacent to Nola’s expansive room are bunks filled with humanoid children who seem to be governed by her strong emotions. Each time she relives her pain, these mutated kids escape the remote compound and brutally murder the latest target of her rage. Other patients develop fleshy growths on their skin each time they relive a traumatic experience, but Nola’s sessions have produced an external egg sac on her abdomen, repeatedly birthing these dangerous creatures. Inspired by his own painful divorce, David Cronenberg’s The Brood is a brutal exploration of experimental treatment and the long-term effects of parental abuse.
Gatlin, Nebraska – Children of the Corn (1984)
Fritz Kiersch’s iconic film also tackles the horrors of violent children, but in a more expansive locale. Burt (Peter Horton) and Vicky (Linda Hamilton) are driving through Nebraska on a backroads highway when a dying child stumbles onto the road. Pulling over to investigate, they see that his throat has been slashed from ear to ear. The terrified couple suddenly realize that they are alone in an endless sea of corn where anyone and anything could be hiding. Terrified, they bundle the body in Bert’s trunk and look for help in neighboring Gatlin. But compared unease at getting lost in rows of the imposing crop, entering this deserted town is downright terrifying.
Not only has the abandoned city been left to ruin, it’s covered with decaying corn husks and unsettling folk art. The frightened couple eventually discover that Gatlin is now run by the town’s vicious children led by a charismatic child preacher named Isaac (John Franklin). Several years ago, he convinced them to slaughter their parents in deference to a deity known as He Who Walks Behind the Rows. Now any adult who crosses their path winds up crucified on a makeshift cross and sacrificed to their unusual god. Adapted from the short story by Stephen King, Children of the Corn is an atmospheric nightmare exploring the dangers of isolation and the strange claustrophobia of the American heartland.
The Visser – Archive 81 (2022)
Thirty-eight years after Kiersch explored terror on the open plains, Rebecca Sonnenshine finds similar violence in a much smaller space. The Netflix series Archive 81 takes us inside the legendary Visser building just days before its mysterious destruction. Archivist Dan Turner (Mamoudou Athie) is tasked with restoring a recovered Hi8 tape filmed by PhD student Melody Pendras (Dina Shihabi). Just days after moving in, Melody stumbles upon meetings of a sinister cult led by another resident named Samuel (Evan Jonigkeit).
These eerie sessions consist of trancelike singing and intense focus on a hidden statue of an otherworldly being known as Kaelego. Legends also swirl about a snuff film created in search of a cross-dimensional bridge designed to pull the demonic figure into our world. As Dan unravels the mysteries of this wicked building, he finds that time and space have collapsed around him and Kalegho may no longer be stuck in the past. This mind-bending story blends multiple timelines and media depictions of a dangerous structure that may be the skin for a Lovecraftian god.
Summerisle – The Wicker Man (1973)
When Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) first arrives on Summerisle, he’s impressed by the picturesque terrain, but taken aback by the islander’s pagan activities. Everywhere he goes, residents of this quaint town are singing secular folk songs, brazenly worshiping phallic idols, and fornicating in the open with multiple partners. A devout Christian, he’s determined to locate a missing child and takes a room at the Green Man Inn which seems to be a hub for these exaltant rituals. Thanks to the leadership of the wealthy Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), residents have long since abandoned their own Christian traditions in favor of pagan rituals designed to bolster their strains of fruit-bearing trees.
Despite the joyful nature of these celebrations, Howie begins to believe they have a darker purpose. He fears that the missing child is being prepared as a human sacrifice at the culmination of the upcoming May Day festivities. But an even darker secret emerges in an ominous Wicker Man constructed on a high cliff overlooking the sea. Director Robin Hardy thrusts us into a sun-bleached nightmare as the residents of Summerisle joyfully plot grisly murder in service of their own prosperity.
The Old-Growth Forest – The Ritual (2017)
The people of Summerisle operate on faith that their sun god will answer their prayers, but the residents of Sweden’s Old-Growth Forest have concrete proof. Six months after the death of their friend, Luke (Rafe Spall) and his college friends Phil (Arsher Ali), Hutch (Robert James-Collier), and Dom (Sam Troughton) are hiking the Kungsleden in northern Sweden to honor his memory when injury forces them to reroute through the nearby forest. But rather than a soothing wooded stroll, this ominous terrain is eerily quiet and filled with mysterious symbols and gruesomely dismembered animal carcasses.
As they slowly begin to lose their bearings, the terrified hikers are also plagued with horrific dreams of grisly rituals and graphic death. When a large deerlike creature begins chasing them through the tall trees, Luke and Dom take refuge in a nearby village. But their hopes of protection quickly sour when a caretaker explains that they must either submit to the god known as jötunn or be sacrificed on its forest altar. Based on the novel by Adam Nevill, David Bruckner’s terrifying film manages to capture the bewildering terror of getting lost in the woods before unveiling an even more chilling fate.
Spahn Ranch – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019)
On the opposite side of the world, another cult gathers to worship a monster, but this dangerous leader is made of flesh and blood. Quentin Tarantino’s love letter to late 60s Hollywood remixes the harrowing story of Charles Manson and his family of followers. When stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) picks up a seductive hitchhiker called Pussycat (Margaret Qualley), he drops her off at a familiar location. Years ago, he’d filmed episodes of Bounty Law as a stunt double for fading star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio).
But now the ranch seems to be overrun by a commune of hippies who’ve convinced owner George Spahn (Bruce Dern) to let them squat on the land. After checking on the elderly landlord, Booth returns to find his tire slashed. The brawny stuntman is able to fight his way off of the nefarious ranch, but will soon have another deadly encounter with Manson’s followers. Not only has this dusty ranch been left to ruin, it carries the artifice of a vacant movie set, displaying the emptiness of Manson’s promises. Inspired by one of the most shocking crimes in American history, Tarantino captures the desolate emptiness and delusion at the heart of every cult compound.
Opus is now playing in theaters everywhere. Get your tickets and see it this weekend!
The post Welcome, Fools: The Creepiest Cult Compounds In Horror appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
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