We have yet to see which titles among the SXSW 2015 line-up will stand out, but this spring will bring one of last year’s biggest hits, Riley Sterns‘ Faults. Led by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, it follows her character’s attempt to rehabilitate after an experience with a cult. The first trailer has now arrived, which packs a great deal of style and energy, touting one of our quotes as well.
We said in our review, “Don’t expect much bombast or thrilling sequences, as Stearns crafts a slow-forming film, establishing atmosphere and tension. Despite happening in nearly one location, the production feels like it never constrains itself unnecessarily. In many ways, the hotel room becomes a character itself and is smartly explored throughout. There’s a fine line the film has to walk between showing its hand too early, but also keeping you in the loop. Despite a few tonal missteps, Faults manages to find success in giving us a thoroughly chilling examination on the dangers of cults.”
Check out the trailer and poster below for the film also starring Leland Orser, Beth Grant, Chris Ellis, Jon Gries, and Lance Reddick.
Claire (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is under the grip of a mysterious cult called Faults. Desperate to be reunited with their daughter, Claire’s parents set out to recruit Ansel Roth (Leland Orser), one of the world’s foremost authorities on cults and mind control. But Ansel’s specialty, deprogramming cult members and returning them to their families, is not an exact science, and a series of financial setbacks has left him in debt to his manager. Ansel warns Claire’s parents that his deprogramming methods are risky and expensive, but they agree to hire him to kidnap and deprogram their daughter. Claire quickly reveals herself to be a formidable challenge. Her belief is unshakeable, and her logic is undeniable. A battle of wits develops between the two as they delve deeper and deeper into each other’s minds.
Faults opens on March 6th.