Underappreciated Gem

'Acolytes' was a revelation. The film is a sight to behold visually and the performances (especially the calculating Edgerton) were stunning. Right from the start, the film is atmospheric and gothic, the lighting and camerawork serving to create a real sense of foreboding (helped by minimal dialog in the opening stages). I also thought it was most interesting use of an audio track in a film in quite some time (both diegetic and non-diegetic sound). Brilliant stuff. It disappoints me that the rating on here isn't higher because the preponderance of critics (who actually know what they're talking about and are refined in their taste) have voiced high praise for this compelling drama. The pre-credit sequence with its long opening shots have much drawing power. Even when the action moves out of the scene of the crime in the woods and into suburbia you can never shake off this lingering air of menace. Really great thriller, in my opinion.