A Banquet
Widowed mother Holly is radically tested when her teenage daughter Betsey experiences a profound enlightenment and insists that her body is no longer her own, but in service to a higher power. Bound to her newfound faith, Betsey refuses to eat but loses no weight. In an agonizing dilemma, torn between love and fear, Holly is forced to confront the boundaries of her own beliefs.
Why it matters
A Banquet serves a lean, unsettling exploration of faith and bodily autonomy, trading conventional scares for psychological dread rooted in religious fanaticism and maternal terror.
- Jessica Alexander’s haunting performance channels cosmic unease without cheap shocks
- Subtle body horror and eerie atmosphere evoke folk and occult horror’s slow-burn dread
- Perfect for fans of Take Shelter and Horse Girl looking for horror that probes mental and spiritual disintegration
- Sparse storytelling demands patience, rewarding viewers attuned to mood over plot payoff
Director
Cast
Horror DNA
Gore
14
Slow Burn
66
Psychological
14
Supernatural
0
Creature
0
Disturbing
67
Fun Factor
17
Cerebral
71
Survival
0
