Abigail Before Beatrice

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PVD H Nov 19 Abigail Before Beatrice explores the life of a cult member following the cults conclusion and what might seem like the reveal of disillusionment to the cults members, however, for Beatrice, we find that her transition to the outside world is met with challenges, one of the major ones being her inability to grasp the nature of her experience or accept that chapter in her life is not only over, but also was misguided and a filled with false pretenses. While on the surface it appears she has re-acclimated to outside society, Beatrice continues to search for connection and a true feeling of acceptance, only to have one failure after another as she finds herself looking for a version of what previously existed. What I love about this film is the exploration of a topic I find completely fascinating. While we are all familiar with cults and cult leaders, the most intriguing aspect of these situations are the members, particularly those who still hold on to their beliefs or reject the idea that they had been deceived or involved in their own self-deceit. Beatrice is attracted to a feeling more than she is to a specific doctrine or narrative. She yearns to be seen as special, a feeling that it appears was rare to hear prior to her dealings with the cult and then left a void in with the loss of these relationships. Much of her drive is to recreate the relationships she once had, which leads to a spiral as, against her belief, what she had never truly existed the way she believed it had. This is seen as she strikes up a relationship with a man who lives in the home that once sheltered the members of their commune as well as her reunited with a former cult member she was close with. Beatrice’s spiral is one that takes time to hit full force but once it does, quickly brings her entire world crashing down. One can only imagine the experience of realizing that everything you once had was not real, but also and possibly more importantly to the person, will never be experienced again, even if it was a false belief. This film offers an insightful and capturing perspective on the psychology of self-worth and how it can impact our ability to be manipulated as well as highlighted the dangers for those who constantly seek acceptance or struggle with feelings of value. The performance of Olivia Taylor Dudley, who portrays Beatrice, is perfection, offering a stellar performance that communicates so much beyond just performing lines. She truly speaks without speaking, conveying emotion through so much of her body language and truly offering a clear view of the emotions of her character. Abigail Before Beatrice is a prime example of why indie film is so valuable, offering stories that are filled with emotion versus big box office films that often lack substance. This psychological thriller captures the demise of its protagonist and allows its viewers to feel the pain that is experienced as she attempts to adjust to every day society once again alone. See more Read all reviews

Abigail Before Beatrice

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