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An actor struggles with anxiety in Ben Lankester’s short film Experience, which screened as part of HollyShorts London Film Festival.

Ben Lankester’s Experience clocks in at just over two minutes. It’s short and sweet, but the amount of information and emotion Lankester manages to communicate in those two minutes is rather remarkable.

The short focuses on an actor who is preparing for an audition. Auditions can be terrifying; you’re standing under scorching studio lights, someone holds a boom mic over you, the camera’s presence feels intruding and people are watching your every move and listening to every single word you say and how you say it.

Karen Bengo plays the actress who struggles with overwhelming anxiety. She’s due to perform a monologue which hits a little too close to home too, which probably isn’t helping with her nerves and mental health. We watch her practise,...

Azrael takes place after the Rapture, where humanity's devout survivors have taken a vow of silence. Quiet subservience is assured by cutting vocal cords and leaving a crucifix-shaped scar. But another terrifying remnant stalks the wilderness and demands to be fed through bloody sacrifice. The film falls prey to a few clunky genre tropes. It hurdles those barriers with slick cinematography, brutal violence, and a fierce lead performance. Samara Weaving continues to prove her mettle as a horror and action badass in a visceral thriller with biblical themes.

Hunting a Woman in the Woods

Azrael 3.5/5 RHorrorAction

Many years following the apocalypse, a devout cult of mute zealots hunts down a young woman, Azrael, who has escaped her imprisonment. Recaptured by its ruthless leaders, Azrael is to be sacrificed to pacify an ancient evil that resides deep within the surrounding wilderness yet she will stop at nothing to ensure her own survival.

This review of Azrael was originally published during the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival.

Azrael, the latest horror starring scream queen Samara Weaving, hails from the minds of director E.L. Katz and screenwriter Simon Barrett. The movie follows a relatively simple premise: a young woman is hunted by a frightening cult and demonic creatures in a post-rapture world. Their sinister plan for her is unclear, but one thing's for sure she will survive at any cost.

Azrael

Director E.L. KatzRelease Date September 27, 2024Writers Simon BarrettCast Sonia Roszczuk, Sebastian Bull Sarning, Phong Giang, Lucie Jan, Karen Bengo, Johhan Rosenberg, Katariina Unt, Peter Christoffersen, Vic Carmen Sonne, Eero Milonoff, Samara Weaving, Nathan Stewart-JarrettRating RRuntime 85 MinutesGenres Action, Horror

The premise is one that many horror fans will recognize, as it's the basis of many classic horror films. The Rapture and its consequences have been a playground for science fiction and horror creatives for some time now,...

Samara Weaving returns to the horror movie genre in 2024, and there are multiple options for where to watch Azrael in a short amount of time. After making a name for herself with horror movies like Ready or Not and The Babysitter, plus having a cameo in Scream VI, the actress is cemented as a modern scream queen. Samara Weaving's horror movies filmography grew again in 2024 thanks to Azrael, the action horror movie from the minds of director E.L. Katz (Cheap Thrills) and writer Simon Barrett.

Azrael's story is set in a world where no one speaks. The movie revolves around a cult's attempt to imprison and sacrifice Weaving's Azrael to a mysterious evil. With Azrael's reviews being mostly positive, the inherent interest for some in seeing Weaving return to horror becomes even more exciting. This is especially true considering the involvement of Shudder, the horror-focused production company behind acclaimed films like In A Violent Nature,...

In a new image from the upcoming horror film Azrael, Ready or Not star Samara Weaving finds herself soaked in blood once again. The Australian actor is no stranger to violent horror, starring in The Babysitter, its sequel The Babysitter: Killer Queen, and the highly-anticipated Scream VI. However, Weaving may be most recognizable from her acclaimed performance in the black horror comedy Ready or Not, which found the actor completely covered in blood on her wedding night.

Deadline now shares a first look image at Weaving's new action-horror film, Azrael.

Although not much is known about the film, Weaving stars as the titular character, who has run away from a cult-like women-led community where no one speaks. The Ready or Not star finds herself drenched in blood again in the new movie. When Azrael is recaptured, she is chosen to be sacrificed to keep an ancient evil at bay. With...