A Banquet

Released Feb 18, 2022

1h 38m

Horror

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for A Banquet: Trailer 1

List

57%

65 Reviews

Tomatometer

31%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

Widowed mother Holly (Sienna Guillory) is radically tested when her teenage daughter Betsey (Jessica Alexander) 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.

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Critics Consensus

If it isn't without its share of empty calories, A Banquet remains a lavishly appointed treat for fans of slow-burning horror.

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Spitfyre 8

Definitely a juxtaposition between plot and characterization and acting where I thought the plot didn't justify how great the actors' performances were. The performances made it watchable, but I didn't find myself really caring about the circumstances, therefore, middle-of-the-road film for me.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/24

Full Review

Savanna C

Honestly I really liked this movie! I can see why some would rate it low, but I truly enjoyed it. Was it chilling and thrilling and terrifying? Not in the traditional sense. The individual storylines and arcs for each character were clear and well-driven. Overall, I found it thought provoking, artistic, and emotional.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/11/23

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Jason R

Not great https://uberscaryblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/whats-point-of-it-all.html

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

05/24/23

Full Review

Konyia T

Fine, since no one was honest I'll be honest. The ending made no sense. If someone who wasn't religious watched this they would be mad. I basically watched a movie about a mother watching her teenage daughter starve herself after her husband commits suicide. I get during the movie she said he mom was the "first star" but why'd Bets have to die? Who was the second star? Did the world end and everyone end up in a better place? What happened to the mom at the end what did she see? Where did she go? Wouldn't recommend. 30 minutes of this movie had to be missing. Hopefully part 2 soon.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A whole lot of nothing - no payoff. No sense. Good acting though.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Overall, I admire this film's concept and premise as a unique horror style. The film begins with a dark plot and an interesting mystery, and the film's visuals are pleasing. There are some moments of nervous tension; however, what starts as a bit of fun soon becomes a disjointed film packed with vague and unrealistic aspects. This includes the ending, which I'm still trying to get my head around. The leading characters and their performances are also questionable as it feels like a mismatch based on the story. This movie had strong potential to be something highly different in the genre of horror, but instead, it's a messy film with unclear plot details, which are bound to baffle many.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/11/23

Full Review

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Ruth Paxton

Director

Sienna Guillory

Holly

Jessica Alexander

Betsey

Ruby Stokes

Isabelle

Lindsay Duncan

June

Kaine Zajaz

Dominic

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A Banquet: Movie Clip - Peas

3:00

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A Banquet: Trailer 1

2:15

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

This profoundly unnerving gastronomic horror is certainly the wrong flick to watch before a dinner date.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 16, 2022

Full Review

Katherine McLaughlin

Little White Lies

A feast for the senses and a promising debut.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 10, 2022

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

It is really unnerving.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 9, 2022

Full Review

C.H. Newell

Father Son Holy Gore

Ruth Paxton’s A Banquet works on a couple different levels because of the way Justin Bull’s screenplay depicts a teenager’s apocalyptic visions as either terrifyingly real or potentially the product of a mentally ill mind made all the worse by grief.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 17, 2023

Full Review

Dallas King

Outtake Mag

An intelligent, thought-provoking horror... Alexander delivers an astounding, star-making performance

Rated: 3/5

Nov 13, 2022

Full Review

Whang Yee Ling

The Straits Times (Singapore)

Girlhood is complicated and terrifyingly so in this coming-of-age chiller.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 8, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Widowed mother Holly (Sienna Guillory) is radically tested when her teenage daughter Betsey (Jessica Alexander) 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.

Director: Ruth Paxton
Producer: Jeremy Baxter, Patrick Fischer, Richard Kondal, Deepak Nayar
Screenwriter: Justin Bull
Distributor: IFC Midnight
Production Co: Tea Shop Productions, Reliance Entertainment Productions 8, Riverstone Pictures
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 18, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 18, 2022
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.2K
Runtime: 1h 38m

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