source: Hell Is Empty

Ya ya ya its poorly made, most independent movies are but what we got here is a very interesting concept with lots of gore. The acting isnt oscar worthy, what Bfilms are? If you like movies about cults, gore and woodlife gone wrong you might get Hell Is Empty.

This stylish thriller pulls you in from the opening seconds, as a mysterious man rescues (or kidnaps?) battered teenage runaway Lydia. She opens her eyes on a secluded island surrounded by female cult members in antique dresses, who have likewise been drawn in by the messianic leader. From there, the pace doesn't let up for an instant as the cult's new recruit warms to the welcoming household but soon discovers trouble in paradise. "Hell Is Empty" is dazzlingly cinematic, casting a spell with lush imagery, ingenious camera setups, a haunting score, artful montages, and costumes and set design inspired by the cult leader's folk-art obsession. Viewers are as bewitched as Lydia, thinking--at least until storm clouds start to gather--that they've landed in heaven rather than hell.

HELL IS EMPTY is a well researched look into micro sects of twisted religions that have been enacted hell on earth. I think what we have in this small film is a pretty accurate look at the darkest aspects of what happens when the Bible is misquoted and used for nefarious psychosis of its leader. At times HELL IS EMPTY isn't clear on its take away message but I like that so I can find my own take away message.

This movie throws the whole kitchen sink into the psychological aspects of the story. I will watch any movie that challenges the church system and this was a strong message to get out about the lunacy of break away religions/cults.

I took a chance on this film and glad I did. The acting was surprisingly well directed and the storyline was intense. A different and smart look into the cults that permeate and hide all countries.

I liked this low budget film cause it had a sick twisted story about this artist guy who had a bunch of women thinking he was this tapped in prophet and all he was was a psycho killer. Where they made this movie felt sick n what not just watching it made me think that this place was spooked. The pregnant girl needed to leave I felt so sorry for her and the chick who got lost and ended up there like man what was she doing she could have left on the first day. So I dont understand if the artist guy cursed them brainwashed them or poisoned these girls to stay.

As Shakespeare said; "Hell is empty and all devils are here". This beautifully crafted compact indie proves such a point. Ed (aka, Artist) and his coven of sister wives live together on an island in a shanty that is the perfect back drop for a Hierronymus Bosch like cult. They find a young woman the woods and take her back to the shanty for Artist as if she was a flower and for some unspoken reason the young woman goes with them. This bothered me because it was never explained why she went with them all willy nilly. Perhaps a part two of Hell Is Empty needs to be made. Even thou the characters aren't defined in depth, there is an acceptance one gets from being plopped into this grotesque situation and man was I glad to get back to my mundane life. Maybe that is why i watch such films.

Hypnotized by the period detail of The Yellow Wallpaper, (2021-also reviewed) I decided to continue peeling away at the line-up of the Cine-Excess Film Festival, by discovering how empty hell is. View on the film: Arriving to the island where the one Male figure is also the lone figure with power to rule over all the inhabitants, co-editor/co-writer (with Adam Desantes) / director Jo Shaffer & cinematographer Alex Halstead casts a wide-net eerie atmosphere of unsettling stilted wide-shots gazing at the horror inflicted on women who question Ed's cult on the land Striking the fear of God into anyone who dares to question his iron-fist rule over the family, Travis Mitchell gives an excellent fire and brimstone performance as Ed. Drawing sharp thumbnail sketches for each teenage runaway, the screenplay by Shaffer and Desantes neatly combines isolated community/ cult chills with Ed's patriarch grip on power, which the teenage runaway girls fight to reveal is empty like Hell.

Hypnotized by the period detail of The Yellow Wallpaper, (2021-also reviewed) I decided to continue peeling away at the line-up of the Cine-Excess Film Festival, by discovering how empty hell is. View on the film: Arriving to the island where the one Male figure is also the lone figure with power to rule over all the inhabitants, co-editor/co-writer (with Adam Desantes) / director Jo Shaffer & cinematographer Alex Halstead casts a wide-net eerie atmosphere of unsettling stilted wide-shots gazing at the horror inflicted on women who question Ed's cult on the land.