Twenty-five years after a charismatic cult leader (Thomas Jane) spurred his followers into committing mass suicide with the promise of eternal life, the sole survivor (Lily Rabe) returns to the scene, accompanied by a zealous documentary filmmaker (Jessica Alba) and her implausibly large crew. Taking inspiration from the notorious 1978 Jonestown Massacre, horror thriller The Veil cooks up some supernatural body-swap hokum out of its set-up, but the results are distinctly tepid.
That said, director Phil Joanou (probably best known for U2 music documentary Rattle and Hum) does give the story’s 1980s flashback scenes an eerily washed-out look, while Jane goes appropriately over the top as the psychotic guru. But when the bodies start to drop, the killings feel all too rote.
Certificate 15. Runtime 90 mins. Director Phil Joanou
The Veil debuts on Sky Cinema Premiere on Thursday 24 August. Available on DVD from Universal Pictures.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOUHGzoP0fw
