Runtime: 111 minutes
Directed by: Jordan Downey
Starring: Deborah Ann Woll, Jeffrey Donovan, Gretchen Corbett, Jack Doolan, Will Hochman
From: Shudder
This film has been the Belle of the Ball since it debuted on Shudder; this is why I'm viewing this instead of a long-ago requested movie of a similar nature (I should get to that in December; plus, I just watched Cure) as Spooky Season will end after I post a review on Sunday—I am aching to view all sorts of different genres next month. Meanwhile, back to this film that some have been over the moon for.
People on Letterboxd and a Discord server I'm a member of have raved about The Cycle, making me curious. At least one person viewed it solely because it starred Deborah Ann Woll. This blends horror w/ police procedural; Woll is a great forensic anthropologist who is asked to examine the corpse of her father, who she has been long-estranged from as he left her life decades ago. Hopefully no one reading this is estranged from any family members...
The Cycle is one of those films where it's best to go in blind, not knowing what it's about; I was a little surprised at the big reveal about halfway through, although in hindsight I shouldn't have been given the clues it dropped along the way. The first half took its time as the plot slowly unfurled and you got to know the lead characters. It shifts gears & becomes more exciting as the villain unleashes its fury; many of us will enjoy that the effects were practical, usually looking good.
Woll and Jeffrey Donovan (the other known name in the cast) did a swell job w/ their roles. A nitpick or two could be made-as others have said, they did not 100% stick the landing w/ the ending-but overall I had a pretty good time with this film & the family-based story it told. Its version of a <redacted> story was a nice, refreshing twist. The dreary overcast Oregon setting is an example of the film's tone.
In fact, I was glad to view a modern horror movie that's gotten some buzz... and it's something I at least liked. In this case, I liked The Cycle quite a bit. In hindsight, I should have seen this like a week ago for the purpose of recommending this to others, but... better late than never.
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