Them That Follow: A bleak story set in Appalachia among adherents of a snake-handling Pentecostal Church. Mara (Alice Englert) is the pastor's (Walter Goggins) daughter, she retains her faith but is being pressured into marrying a loyal member of the congregation, Garrett. She is secretly pregnant by Auggie who has drifted away from the church. The members of the sect are literally dirt poor and steeped in ignorance and prejudice. It is an insular society with people watching each other's behaviour and being judgmental. The outside world intrudes when a boy dies after being bitten by a snake. The police arrest Auggie. Mara faces a dilemma regarding the choices facing her.
Not the most original of plots but the faith of the congregation is vividly portrayed as they worship in their corrugated iron roofed assembly hall or in an open air natural amphitheatre in the woods. The snakes seem peaceful as they entwine together in their nests among the forest rocks but we see how deadly they can become. Handling the snakes is an article of faith and the church members believe that bites can be cured through prayer. Indeed the pastor casts out all sorts of ailments. Some great acting by Englert, Olivia Coleman as Auggie's devout mother and Kaitlyn Dever as Daisy, Mara's friend who may be overly pious or just might have a streak of Iago in her. Goggins looks and acts as if he is channeling Jack Nicholson from the wider scenes of The Shining. In some ways reminiscent of Winter Bone but in this case the locals are high on religion rather than hillbilly heroin. Written and Directed by Britt Poulton and Dan Madison Savage. 7/10.
Not the most original of plots but the faith of the congregation is vividly portrayed as they worship in their corrugated iron roofed assembly hall or in an open air natural amphitheatre in the woods. The snakes seem peaceful as they entwine together in their nests among the forest rocks but we see how deadly they can become. Handling the snakes is an article of faith and the church members believe that bites can be cured through prayer. Indeed the pastor casts out all sorts of ailments. Some great acting by Englert, Olivia Coleman as Auggie's devout mother and Kaitlyn Dever as Daisy, Mara's friend who may be overly pious or just might have a streak of Iago in her. Goggins looks and acts as if he is channeling Jack Nicholson from the wider scenes of The Shining. In some ways reminiscent of Winter Bone but in this case the locals are high on religion rather than hillbilly heroin. Written and Directed by Britt Poulton and Dan Madison Savage. 7/10.