Rapture (2014) Review

Starring: Kurt S. Poulin, David McKanna, Jon Herak, Gene Allen, Paul Murciano, Mike Perez, Jessica Guadix, Christian Griffis

Director: Royce Freeman

Writer: Royce Freeman, Kurt S. Poulin, Thomas H. Wermke

Running time: 95 minutes

Rating: None (contains language, drug use, violence, adult situations)

Reviewed by Michael Juvinall

We all have our own views and beliefs on religion and what that means to us. For some, religion is nonexistent, while for others it rules every aspect of our lives. There are those who believe if they lead a near-perfect life in regards to religion and faith they will be raptured by God as a reward for their service to the lord. The definition of rapture is experiencing religious ecstasy as a result of one’s faith. The film Rapture, by co-writer and director Royce Freeman features characters that believe this notion whole heartedly. On the surface, his film is the story of two different groups of people from different walks of life that accidentally collide with violent results. But if you scratch under the surface of Rapture, it’s a morality tale gone wrong.

Career criminal, Wolf (Kurt S. Poulin) and his band of thugs, brother Alvie (Paul Murciano), reluctant nephew Augustin (David McKanna) and Stevie Boy (Jon Herak) are out for one last score before they hightail it to Mexico for the good-life. Out to turn the tables on their drug baron, Wolf and gang execute him and crew, stealing all the profits.

Meanwhile, Christian couple Grace (Christian Griffis) and her boyfriend Spencer (Matthew Mercurio), sister Roxy (Julianna Pitt), Richie (Matt Vogel) and Trinity (Kristen Ballentine) are on a trip to visit her dying grandmother when their van breaks down. The group approach Wolf’s house to ask for help and find they have entered into the direst situation of their lives. Faced with the unspeakable evil of Wolf and his crew, the young friends encounter a hell that will truly test their faith…if they survive the experience.

This film was a real tough nut to crack. It’s a complex film and has a lot of interesting themes at work here, but I didn’t particularly care for the execution. I feel the script was well-written for the most part and co-writer/director Freeman has a lot to say. I like the ideas behind the film, but because of the nature of independent filmmaking, these ideas aren’t fully realized.

Almost all of the cast have limited acting experience, and it really shows. I realize that each job is a learning experience but the biggest issue I had with this film was from the acting. Most of the cast were simply not experienced enough to tackle a film like this. The script requires many of the characters to elicit a wide range of emotions and I felt most were not able to convey what was needed for their parts. For me, there was too much over-emphasizing of dialogue in most scenes. A few of the actors such as the pizza boy were downright awful in their roles. On the other hand, It was obvious that the entire cast had their hearts in the right place and I have to give them a lot of credit for what they accomplished, especially Kurt S. Poulin for his performance as Wolf.

There were some gaps in logic during the film I had a problem with. A couple characters in particular really had me scratching my head. The character of Sybil, in cahoots with the rest of Wolf’s group, played with zest by Jessica Guadix had me trying to guess why she was even there. Also, there is a freaky crime scene photographer with a morbid fetish for gruesome crime scene photos that just didn’t belong and was way over the top, causing unintentional laughs.

As I stated earlier, there are some complex themes at work in Rapture. Most notably faith and what it means to different people. Wolf and his brother’s character grew up as preacher’s sons but somewhere along the way they lost their faith, turning to the darkness instead, while Grace and friends have an almost naiveté to their faith and end up having that faith tested by Wolf.

Rapture is not a horror film, it is more of a straight on thriller in case you’re wondering what about this movie is scary, but there are some really horrific moments to keep horror fans interested. I have to admire everyone involved with this project. It strives to be more than a simple indie film about good versus evil, even if it ultimately doesn’t quite live up to those expectations.