Anacoreta isn’t trying to scare you like a horror movie. It’s trying to unsettle you by warping your sense of reality.
Let me explain: when I summarize it, “the crew heads out to an isolated cabin to film an experimental horror film itself”, it sounds trope-y as hell! Instead of crafting scenes or established horror movie tropes (jump scares! Body count!), everything they shoot begins to bleed into their own reality, and at one point, you don’t even realize you stopped questioning if something is a “movie” or not, and that’s when it really starts to get under your skin.
This one unravels. The pacing is fantastic. Not slow paced, but… simmering. Anxiety brews in the dead air moments, power dynamics shift, and everything just feels… wrong. Dialogue feels overstayed. Reaction feels a split second too late. You begin to question if the built-up tension is part of the script or truly spiraling out of control.
What’s fascinating about Anacoreta is how seamless this feels. There’s no magical moment where everything “clicks.” Something shifts gradually through small cues in behavior and tone. Even the camera becomes unsettling; it stops feeling like a narrative tool and more like another voyeur to the madness. That’s where you know it’s happening.
Even the performances sell it. No one goes full-crazed to sell you that feeling of uncertainty. It all feels very much nonchalant, which makes everything else feel all the more plausible. Anacoreta is suspenseful because of the long pauses and uncomfortable eye contact. If you’re looking for quick scares and a neatly wrapped ending, you’ll be disappointed. Suspicion is a spiral staircase, not a roller coaster.
This movie is not your average Friday night horror.
Last Thoughts/ Recommendation: If you’re patient enough for slow-burning meta-horror, this movie will reward you. If that’s your jam.
Anacoreta stars Antonia Thomas (The Good Doctor, Lovesick), Jeremy Schuetze (The Man in the High Castle, Jennifer’s Body), co-writer Matt Visser (Fellow Travelers, Woman of the Hour), and Jesse Stanley (Van Helsing).
Anacoreta is now available to rent or own on Digital HD, including Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango at Home.
