Deborah Ann Woll and Jeffrey Donovan take on a force to be reckoned with in Jordan Downey’s thrilling new horror movie
“Every body has secrets” is the line the lead protagonist, Meg — played by Deborah Ann Woll — conveys, and it sticks as the new horror movie The Cycle begins to lay out its plot. But it isn’t the investigator’s subjects that hold them this time, but her.
Review (Spoiler Free)
Over the past several years, there’s been a lack of movies being released for the Halloween season, not to mention any during the month of October. Shudder, the film’s distributor, has made it a priority to ensure you get your spooky season fix.
Directed by Jordan Downey (V/H/S/Beyond), the filmmaker carefully uses practical effects, well-thought-out scenes, and connecting dialogue. With gentle pacing, the film takes a considerate pathway to build tension that inevitably boils over into exactly what you need for the haunting season. But it takes a dramatic turn when tastefully executed practical effects morph into funny yet endearing 1990s-style creature feature prosthetics and staggered movements.
The Verdict
While it’s a fun ride, you can’t help but feel disappointed; plagued by a mismatching set of character building, The Cycle is a tale of two halves. If it started as it meant to go on, we’d have a fantastic Halloween movie. Full of the essentials, including of anomalous discoveries and body-horror, the team really got behind the idea, but it’s its execution that misses the mark.
Instead, we get a sliver of a small-town detective story meets An American Werewolf in Paris. It’s a shame, because Woll and Donovan are talented actors but feel out of place in a film that constantly shifts gears and brakes several times. Don’t get me wrong, it’s entertaining and falls within the spectrum of what you need for a monster flick, and it’s a diverting watch — just not the one we expected.
Production Details
Production companies: Tea Shop Productions, Buffalo 8 and BondIt Media Capital.
Distributor: Shudder.
Filming location: Astoria, Oregon.
The Cast
- Deborah Ann Woll (Meg)
- Jeffrey Donovan (Marks)
- Gretchen Corbett (Joni)
- Will Hochman (Ian)
- Phillip Andre Botello (Daniel)
- Dana Millican (Fran)
- Jack Doolan (Lenny)
- Don Keith Opper (Frank)
- Danika Golombek (Katie)
- Carl W. Crudup (Lou Bishop)
- Jeb Berrier (Ratterman)
- David Myers Gregory (Peter)
- Trevor Newlin (character not publicly credited)
Crew
- Jordan Downey (Director, Writer, Editor)
- Kevin Stewart (Writer, Cinematographer)
- Michael W. Downey (Producer)
- James Harris (Producer)
- Mark Lane (Producer)
- Grady Craig (Executive Producer)
- Matthew Helderman (Executive Producer)
- Luke Taylor (Executive Producer)
- Nick Soole (Composer)
- Patrick O’Donnell (Production Designer)
- Peter Falanga (Art Director)
- Jade Harris (Set Decoration)
- Wlaa Elashkar (Costume Designer)
- Mike Ritchie (Visual Effects)
- Paul Lowey (Visual Effects)
- Declan Boyle (Visual Effects)
- Alex Terzieff (Stunts)
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