Azrael: A Silent Escape from a Post-Rapture Cult

Azrael is the story of a woman on the run from a religious cult. It’s been several years since the rapture, and this group has decided that speaking is a sin. Azrael, her vocal cords having already been removed, knows that if she is caught, she will be sacrificed to the creatures that live in the surrounding wooded area.

I’m always interested in movies that deal with the aftermath of the rapture. It’s not that I’m a believer, but I like to keep an open mind. I know that if the rapture happens, there is no way I’m making the cut, so I like to know what I may be in for. And if it involves not speaking, well… there are a whole lot of people I could stand not to have to listen to anyway.

Although the story is interesting, Azrael does not do a whole lot with it. It’s really just a movie about a woman trying to escape. Whether from the cult or just avoiding the barbequed, zombie-like creatures, it doesn’t matter. She’s on the run. But the movie just keeps repeating itself. She runs, she’s caught, she escapes, she runs again, rinse and repeat, until the final confrontation. The rapture and the religious cult add a layer to it, but it’s not much different than other movies.

As part of the repetitive nature, the movie has to continually find reason for Azrael to be captured again. This happens through members of the cult somehow getting ahead of her as she flees, or by setting what should be painfully obvious traps that she walks right into. Seriously, if the cult had painted a tunnel on a cliff wall, she would have obliviously run right into it like Wile E. Coyote. I enjoyed the chase scenes, but each time she is captured, it felt forced.

Azrael makes the interesting choice of including almost no dialogue. This works really well for the initial part of the movie. Other than some title cards, there is nothing to provide any context for what is happening. This leaves you wondering, and somewhat confused as to character’s motivations, and to the true state of the world. This mirrors Azrael as she doesn’t seem to be clear why this is all happening either. It all adds a layer of mystery and paranoia, creating a tense atmosphere.

However, as the movie progresses, the lack of dialogue becomes frustrating. It becomes clear that the cult has chosen not to speak, and that it is not something that affects everyone. But the movie still doesn’t want to provide any explanations, and the lack of dialogue prevents any kind of exposition. It goes from a strength to a weakness and feels more like a gimmick. I’m all for leaving some questions unanswered and letting audiences draw their own conclusions, but you have to give something, and Azrael is determined not to.

The movie’s biggest strength is the performance of Samara Weaving in the title role. She needs to convey a range of emotions without any dialogue, and she does this beautifully. Fortunately, her face is very expressive, and whether fear, anger, grief or love, you never question what she is feeling. It’s a great performance and the best part of the movie. The rest of the cast is good as well, although no one has a significant amount of screen time.

As far as horror goes, there aren’t many scares in the movie. There are some jump scares, but I would not classify any as truly effective. Azrael relies more on creating an atmosphere of tension and confusion, and in that sense, it is largely successful. The first half the movie is quite good. It’s only as you approach the conclusion and are seeking some answers that it falters.

Azrael was a movie I was highly looking forward to, and while I enjoyed it overall, it was a bit of a let down. I thought the general concept was quite good, and there was lots of potential. Unfortunately, it mainly plays out like other horror movies you’ve seen and relies on its gimmick too heavily. But Samara Weaving is wonderful, and her performance alone made this worth seeing. I doubt it’s one I’ll revisit in the future, but if you’re a horror fan, I would give Azrael a shot. It may not be great, but I think it worth a try.

Have you seen Azrael? Are you planning to? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.