Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- foreboding
- oppressive
- dread-filled
- late night horror marathon
- halloween viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film’s slow-building folk-horror atmosphere and Dan Stevens’s commanding performance, while finding its later violence and climactic action less effective.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The isolated island commune’s religion, rituals, and supernatural mythology drive the film’s dread.
Thomas Richardson enters the commune while searching for his kidnapped sister and uncovering its secrets.
The story takes place in 1905 on a remote island shaped by period religious authority and physical isolation.
The commune’s spiritual order rests on lies, coercion, murder, and the abuse of religious belief.
Films like Apostle, and why
The Wicker Man
isolated religious commune, pagan ritualism, escalating folk horror dread, and an outsider investigating disappearances
The Village
remote community, closed belief system, period atmosphere, and a protagonist uncovering supernatural secrets
The Ritual
survival horror, wilderness isolation, occult forces, and a gradual descent into disturbing folklore
Movie Details
- Director
- Gareth Evans
- Release Date
- 2018-09-21
- Runtime
- 129 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (1659)
Cast
- Dan Stevens
- Michael Sheen
- Lucy Boynton
- Mark Lewis Jones
- Bill Milner
- Kristine Froseth
- Paul Higgins
- Richard Elfyn
- Catrin Aaron
- John Weldon
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Apostle about?
- A haunted island rescue mission becomes a brutal confrontation with a secretive religious commune and the supernatural forces sustaining it.
- What is Apostle like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Apostle as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Apostle violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Apostle as graphic.
- What did critics think of Apostle?
- Critics broadly praised the film’s slow-building folk-horror atmosphere and Dan Stevens’s commanding performance, while finding its later violence and climactic action less effective.
- Which films are like Apostle?
- Films with a similar feel include The Wicker Man, The Village, and The Ritual.
- How long is Apostle?
- Apostle runs 129 minutes.
- Where can I watch Apostle?
- In United States, Apostle streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
