I had to sit through this really bad horror film called "Eloise" (i thought at first it was going to be a chick flick or a kid's movie) in order to get to watch this one.
so it's basically a mix of "the wicker man" and "the witch" (and even "silent hill") and parts of it are better than both and parts of it are a little weak. it's definitely gruesome and graphic, lots of blood and pushing the boundaries of good taste.
but dan stevens absolutely owns this movie. i never really thought too much about the actor but now i'm really intrigued to see him in other stuff. i know he's beast in "beauty and the beast".
there's definitely a lot of religious symbolism and metaphors. but there's also bludgeoning, brutal in-your-face stuff that goes a little over the top.
i also loved michael sheen in it. he's crazy and a little scary, but he's also somewhat likable.
overall, i found it pretty damn good. but it is a bit long, and i think maybe shaving 15-20 minutes off would have made it sharper. also, some of the characters could've been fleshed out a little more (no pun intended).
out of