Apostle (2018)

Director: Gareth Evans
Stars: Dan Stevens, Richard Elfyn, Paul Higgins
Runtime: 130 minutes

Synopsis: A man travels to an island to rescue his kidnapped sister from a dangerous religious cult.

• Performances: 8/10

Why? Dan Stevens like you've never seen him before. The actor showed an entirely different face that mixed rage and fear in this movie that had me excited for future projects of his. The rest of the cast was also exceptional. They all played a huge part in making the movie as realistic as it was.

• Screenplay: 6/10

Why? While there are lots of aspects I loved about the story, especially in its third act, I can't really say that it had me interested the entire time. I felt that it took quite a bit of time to really take off and start to get interesting. Some decisions made by the characters didn't make a whole lot of sense as well. However, the dialogue was extremely well written and beautifully mirrored the time at which the story takes place, and the religious cult is incredibly well layered and believable. 

• Costumes/Makeup: 10/10

Why? Absolutely flawless. In a film that relies a lot on realism and gore, the costumes and makeup played a huge role in making these two aspects as realistic as possible. And they succeed without a shadow of a doubt. 

• Editing: 6/10

Why? As mentioned earlier, the movie takes a while to really start getting interesting, which led to some pacing issues and a runtime that could've been trimmed down. But other than that, the editing was very smooth.

• Cinematography: 8/10

Why? Perhaps "Apostle"'s greatest asset. Gareth Evans' first project since "The Raid 2" looked absolutely gorgeous. The beautiful location felt like a distinct character that was just as relevant as everyone else. The action scenes are incredibly well shot as well. I hope this achievement solidifies Gareth Evans' as one of the best up and coming directors and opens the door to many more projects later on.

• Score/Soundtrack: 5/10

Why? Didn't affect the movie negatively nor positively. It was just there, playing in the background without really having any impact.

FINAL GRADE: 7/10

Note: "Apostle" is not an easy watch. The gory scenes can get a bit too extreme and bloody, so if you're not really into that kind of stuff, I'd recommend staying away.