The Aviary

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2:13

The Aviary

R

Released Apr 29, 2022

1h 36m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

26 Reviews

50%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Malin Akerman, Lorenza Izzo, and Chris Messina star in this twisted thriller about two women's desperate attempt to flee the clutches of Skylight, an insidious cult. Trapped at Skylight's isolated desert campus, The Aviary, Jillian (Akerman), and Blair (Izzo) join forces to make a treacherous escape. Alone in the harsh wilderness, they are consumed by paranoia and unable to shake the feeling that they are being followed by the cult's leader, Seth (Messina), a man as seductive as he is controlling. With supplies dwindling and their senses failing, Jillian and Blair are faced with a horrifying question: how do you run from an enemy who lives inside your head?

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Critics Consensus

The Aviary's adroitly assembled cast lends extra weight to an uneven depiction of how dangerous cults can be.

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Noel Murray

Los Angeles Times

An excellent cast and some skillful direction goes a long way toward making “The Aviary” feel genuinely revealing.

Apr 29, 2022

Full Review

Courtney Howard

AV Club

Layered with thought-provoking questions about the nature of self, coping during extreme crisis and healing from trauma, the cage crafted is claustrophobic and expansive all at the same time.

Apr 29, 2022

Full Review

Odie Henderson

RogerEbert.com

The Aviary tries to wring suspense and mystery out of a flimsy plot.

Rated: 1.5/4

Apr 29, 2022

Full Review

Ferdosa Abdi

Screen Rant

Chris Cullari and Jennifer Raite show a strong understanding of the persuasive methods cults utilize and empathy for those trapped within them.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 23, 2022

Full Review

Heather Wixson

Daily Dead

I think that both Cullari and Raite do a great job of utilizing certain restrictions to their advantage to create a cinematic experience that effectively reflects the isolation that these women are feeling outside the confines of the cult.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jun 13, 2022

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Suffering from a shaky script.

Rated: C+

Jun 2, 2022

Full Review

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Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 36 minutes!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Language and Some Violent Content!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/29/25

Full Review

Yoran A

This movie was amazing! I am not one to be completely blinded by a story, so i had multiple theories about how this movie would end, but a specific plot twist, although not 100% unexpected, blew me away! It's not everyday that you see a psychological horror movie with such great care in the storie line, and such good acting, i'd give this 150% if i could.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/30/23

Full Review

brad p

The Aviary is generic cult shocker elevated by strong lead performances

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Mario C

Waste of time. Hard to follow, poor script and confusing endings.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/14/22

Full Review

Audience Member

This is how you make a low budget movie. You ask interesting questions, write a smart script, and cast great actors. Don't know why the poster makes it look like action movie. This is an indie drama psychological thriller mind fuck.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

greg r

I didn't love this. But I also respected it. It is definitely what it is like to be in a cult. For a small budget, this is solid filmmaking.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Chris Cullari

Director

Jennifer Raite

Director

Lorenza Izzo

Actor

Chris Messina

Actor

Sandrine Holt

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Andrew Miller

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The Aviary: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Malin Akerman, Lorenza Izzo, and Chris Messina star in this twisted thriller about two women's desperate attempt to flee the clutches of Skylight, an insidious cult. Trapped at Skylight's isolated desert campus, The Aviary, Jillian (Akerman), and Blair (Izzo) join forces to make a treacherous escape. Alone in the harsh wilderness, they are consumed by paranoia and unable to shake the feeling that they are being followed by the cult's leader, Seth (Messina), a man as seductive as he is controlling. With supplies dwindling and their senses failing, Jillian and Blair are faced with a horrifying question: how do you run from an enemy who lives inside your head?

Director: Chris Cullari, Jennifer Raite
Producer: Marcei A. Brown, Andrew Miller, Jessica Rhoades, Jeanette Volturno
Screenwriter: Chris Cullari, Jennifer Raite
Distributor: Saban Films
Production Co: Stagecoach Entertainment, Pacesetter Productions International, The Forest Road Company, Catchlight Studios
Rating: R (Language|Some Violent Content)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 29, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 29, 2022
Runtime: 1h 36m

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