Affairs of a Cult Leader: The Films of Nate Thompson
Hey Gorehounds and Blood Babes, just wanted to ramble about a couple of short films I’ve seen from Nate Thompson, an up-and-coming indie horror director who’s cooking up a new project or two as we speak. Exciting, right? Always refreshing to see some fresh blood in the water. He’s directed, edited, produced, AND acted in three movies. And he has another feature (The Dead Record) still in production (but slated for a release later this year). Hell, for one of them, he was even a composer!
His first film came out way back when in 2020. Deep cut, right? The ones we’re looking at today are a bit more modern, having come out only last year. Let’s dive right in with:
1. Cult Affairs (Directed by Nate Thompson; Starring Joshua Moore, Tee Rupp, Nygel Sejismundo; 2021)
“Following a business arrangement gone wrong, Mr. James is brought before the very Cult he crossed to figure out a proper solution. It’s on the inside, where they realize, the Devil truly lives.”
First off, let’s talk about the visuals. If there’s one thing that Thompson nailed, it’s how everything looks. It’s so vivid, so colorful, yet so dark at the same time. The perpetual fog that floats around in each scene probably contributes to that, and I honestly think it’s a fantastic touch that elevates the flick a whole letter grade. Also, how the blue light turns to red whenever the Cult Leader gets mad is just chef’s kiss, mwah, magnifico! More of that, please!
Thompson himself portrays the “Cult Leader”, giving a pretty solid performance that is only hindered by the audio quality. To be fair, I was using my TV speakers, so that could’ve been part of the reason. Subtitles are included, so it was a non-issue regardless. The other actors did fine as well, serving their purpose in the grand narrative of the story.
Given its short runtime (just above six minutes), there’s really not much I have to say other than it’s a solid, atmospheric feature harking back to the Satanic Panic films of the 70s/80s, with a bit of Argento-flair thrown in for good measure,
2. The Cult Leader (Directed by Nate Thompson; Starring Brandon Gee, Jeremiah Goldmain, Halle Rose; 2021)
“A group of friends gather for a routine movie night containing some of the greatest films known to man, only to be interrupted by a masked man with an overwhelming scent of genuine Evil. What is myth? What is madness? The Cult Leader is here.”
Going a bit of a different route here with this one. For the second installment in his Cult series, Thompson opted to go with a more slasher-style endeavor, the mysterious Cult Leader being something more akin to Michael Myers than Johnathan Corbis. This did raise the question of continuity to me, whether or not this one continues off the latter. Luckily, Thompson was able to clear the air real quick:
“Cult Affairs and The Cult Leader both have the same main killer, you’re just seeing 2 different sides. The first one is more of a psychological side, but once he puts on the mask it’s straight classic slasher vibes.”
As far as the actual short goes, a lot of strengths from the first film have carried over, though this one isn’t as much my speed. Don’t get me wrong, I love slashers, but given how the Cult Leader was built up in the first film, it’s a little off-putting seeing him as little more than a mindless killer. That being said, Thompson assures there’s an intention to this, so it’s nothing I’m going to hold against the film too hard.
“Without saying too much,” Thompson says, “the feature we have in production, (also called Cult Affairs), will feature this split personality and will play a big part.”
Also Read: 6 Horror Movies You Didn’t Know Were Based on Short Films
Thompson portrays the titular Cult Leader again and does it well. But given the nature of the character this time around, it’s not as interesting despite it still being a fun performance. As far as the other actors go, they do their job as the usual slasher fodder that comes in a film like this.
As before, the visuals steal the show. However, I don’t feel they’re nearly as strong as they were in the previous outing. Mostly because the fog returns, but instead of it being in an ominous cult hideout, it’s… just in a normal house. Living room just full of fog, and no one seems to mind. Huh.
That being said, I assumed it was more of an aesthetic choice by Thompson than a tangible part of the world the characters inhabit. And, wouldn’t you know it, Thompson confirmed these assumptions:
“The fog is definitely more of an aesthetic choice, but also kind of signature to being in the presence of The Cult Leader. Once you see that, you know you’re either in sight, or about to be.”
In that context, it’s still an effective technique when paired with the green/red lighting. But, it does make it a bit hard to see sometimes.
Also Read: New Podcast ‘The ALTER Tapes’ Dissects The Incredible World of Horror Shorts
Despite my criticisms, I found that it’s an enjoyable watch, as well as a quick one given its eight-minute runtime.
Overall, I had a fun time with these two shorts! I prefer the first film personally, but the second is still a fun time to be had if you have more of a taste for slashers.
As Thompson said earlier, he’s working on a full-length feature based on the Cult Leader concept, so that may pierce the fog around any mysteries currently shrouding the story. Looking forward to see what happens next!
Until next time…
Ciao, friends!
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