MovieChat Forums > Acolytes (2009) Discussion > Seriously, Why Was This Film Called 'Aco...

Seriously, Why Was This Film Called 'Acolytes'?

posted 12 years ago by timalex99
2 replies | jump to latest

---SPOILERS---

Mr. Wright (the serial killer) explains that an acolyte is "a beginner" and, by definition, "an amateur". He even says to Mark something like "You want to be me...but you can't".

But Mark is the furthest thing from a serial killer. First off, he hasn't even killed anybody. My reading is that he saw Tanya Lee in the woods, mistook her for Chasely, and began to touch her and tried to rape her (since Tanya isn't wearing any pants while she runs through the woods). Tanya freaks out, starts running, takes a few seconds to admire a butterfly (because she has the mind of a 10 year-old). She then gets hit, accidentally, by Parker (who's out having a joy ride). So Tanya is killed, tragically, but not murdered.

Compare this to Mr. Wright. The guy's got a torture chamber in his basement, a wife who's arguably creepier than he is, and Wright murders for fun.

So, IMO, Mark isn't even close to being a killer (which is why he can't murder Petra, the backpacker from Norway).

If you want to see a film about real acolytes, check out The Mechanic (1972) or Leon: The Professional (1994).

One last thing. The title of the film is Acolytes, which is plural, but there is only one person (Mark) who is referred to as an acolyte. Just a thought.

[–] tribalmaggot 10 years ago

An acolyte is an assistant or follower.

[–] tenantennae 9 years ago

The kids are taking a ride on the dark side, trying to blackmail a serial killer into murdering someone for them.

They think they are playing Wright, but they're not on his level. He turns their game around on them and teaches them what the dark side and murder really are. Hence, he is the master, and they are acolytes.