When it comes to this horror thriller, The Cycle, from writer/director Jordan Downey, I’ll start with Stephen King’s quote: “A terrific fright flick, The Thing meets The Silence of the Lambs.” Those words were almost taken right out of my mouth because that’s exactly what I was thinking while watching the film.
Meg (Deborah Ann Woll) is an FBI forensic anthropologist, a specialist who studies decomposed bodies at outdoor research facilities. Basically, she’s the person responsible for figuring out what happened to a body, the time of death, and so on. One day, she’s approached by local law enforcement officer Marks (Jeffrey Donovan) and his son, Ian (Will Hochman), regarding a body that turns out to be her father’s. She tells them she hasn’t spoken to him since she was a child, when he ran out on her and her mother. There’s something unusual about her father’s corpse: it has decomposed at an irregular rate. As Meg gets involved in the case and studies her father’s body, she begins to uncover a sordid tale about who he was and why he abandoned his family.
The first thing I have to say is: don’t watch the trailer. If you’ve read my reviews before, you know I do my best to avoid trailers so I can have the freshest possible experience as a viewer. The good thing is that even if you’ve seen the trailer, it doesn’t give anything away. This is a MUST-see horror film. It’s almost mind-boggling that it’s being released through Shudder rather than getting a theatrical release because it’s that good.
“…she’s approached by local law enforcement officer Marks and his son… regarding a body that turns out to be her father’s.”
At a time when fresh directors like Curry Barker (Obsession) and Kane Parsons (Backrooms) are being talked about, Jordan Downey deserves to be part of that conversation. Downey crafts this film so well that it feels as if he’s leading you down a dark stairwell with a flashlight. You know something is coming, and you think you can foresee it, but you really can’t. What he unleashes on the audience is a crazy twist that seems obvious in hindsight but is disguised so well that it catches you off guard.
Deborah Ann Woll is perfectly cast in this role and delivers her best Clarice Starling. Granted, there’s the common FBI connection, but think about it: if Jodie Foster is dissecting the mind of Hannibal Lecter while trying to find an actual killer, Woll is dissecting a body that ultimately leads us into a horror mythology.
Every year, during October, when I’m usually watching Halloween-themed films, I hope to find a hidden gem that offers a fresh take on the genre or builds on an original mythology in a unique way. The Cycle is exactly that film. This is truly one of those movies, much like The Sixth Sense, that you don’t want anyone spoiling for you.
"…mind-boggling that it’s being released through Shudder…because it’s that good."
