Psychological thriller The Observance, from Augusta-based production company Beyond Casual Media, won two awards at the 14th Annual International Horror Hotel Film Festival: Best Suspense Thriller in the Feature category and Best Actor for Alec James, who plays Jonah in the film.
From the official press release: “The Observance is the story of a woman who awakens from a five-year coma after a terrible car accident to find her world drastically altered. An enigmatic, Svengali-like religious leader has taken over her home and her husband and daughter have fallen completely under his control. But it’s not just her own family – the entire town is under the influence of his insidious cult. Determined to uncover the truth, she underestimates just how far the cult will go to protect its secrets.
The cast features renowned character actor Ted Raimi, best known for his roles as Hoffman in The Spider-Man Trilogy. He also recently played the sinister Sheriff Travis Hackett in the acclaimed hit horror game, The Quarry. The cast also stars Beyond Casual ensemble veterans Kate Dailey and Alec James. The script is co-written by Beyond Casual principals Rob Hollocks and Amy Bailey, from an original idea by Bailey. Hollocks and Bailey [coproduced] with Hollocks serving as director of the film.”
I’ve had an early peek at The Observance and can recommend that fans of genre films involving evil cults, along with viewers who appreciate solid drama with their thrillers and horror films, will find plenty of reasons to put this feature on their radars. James earned his Best Actor award for portraying the kind of slimy religious cult leader that fear-fare aficionados love to hate, and Dailey is also impressive as protagonist Madison Neubauer. Add in Hollocks’ assured direction and a solid supporting cast led by Raimi, and you have plenty to look forward to when The Observance heads your way.
