Seeds (I) (2020)
6/10
American folk horror
4 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Seeds is the second feature by filmmaker Skip Shea. An avid fan of folk horror films, Shea decided to follow up his first feature Trinity with a story about a pagan cult that is about to go to war with the Catholic Church. It's also a very personal story Macha and Andrew both process the death of their daughter in very different ways. She's lost and adrift, seeing images of her daughter, while he is driven to make a statement by writing a book about New England cults. And when one of them informs him that his uncle has passed on and left him a legacy, the opportunity to live his dream is closer than ever.

The cult's religion is based around the metaphysical properties of the apple, the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge from Genesis and the symbol of man committing original sin while gaining knowledge. As Macha discovers that she has a gift for seeing more than most people, her husband is being ensnared by the machinations of this secret church.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church, worried about the growing power of this secret cult, has sent a priest into its midst to learn all it can.

Shot on location in the Blackstone Valley, Seeds also uses the same locations that were used in another American folk horror film, Let's Scare Jessica to Death. It's shot in black and white, which works for the darkness of the story, and features Suspiria actress Barbara Magnolfi.

Seeds is unafraid to take things slow, to build tension and to have conversations that feel improvised and fresh along the way. This movie is why independent horror exists; this isn't a quick cash-in horror to get on the shelves of WalMart and content on Amazon Prime. This is a work of art and a labor of love.
1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed