Director: Mark H. Rapaport
Writers: Mark H. Rapaport
Stars: Luke Speakman, Mila Middleswarth, Al Warren
Synopsis: Eccentric twins proclaim themselves prophets to a priest, blurring reality and delusion as they involve him in their supposed divine mission.
Belief is one of the world’s most powerful forces. Capable of altering the state of minds or the realities we live in with acceptance. When faith is involved, it takes belief to a much deeper level. Faith is the action of belief, and in his new film Godhead, Mark H. Rapaport examines the lengths those with an abundance of faith will go. Premiering at Fantasia this year the film is a mesmerizing religious nightmare that questions every aspect of religious doctrine.
Rapaport is no stranger to the Fantasia International Film Festival; his first film, HIPPO, premiered at the festival in 2023. Met with high praise, his dark dramedy showcased the unique cinematic voice Rapaport possesses. Going from a twin coming-of-age story to a religious thriller, also involving siblings, there’s a through line in his work so far. He focuses on religion, drawing on his own background and experience within a hyper-religious community.
While he chooses to keep Godhead’s trajectory clear with its premise, a small-town priest, referred to as Father (Al Warren), spends his days helping his local community. Either through the power of prayer or through his actions, he is no doubt trusted by those who walk through the church doors. He even cares for a young boy who is left on the church stairs as an infant, Boy Luke Speakman). Though their relationship raises eyebrows early on, it’s not until prophetic twins Firstborn (Sara Coffey) and Secondborn (Kimball Farley) take their seats in the pews of Father’s church, seeking his judgment and truth. Their making white jumpsuits and uniquely sculpted faces make them oddly alluring; soon, they go from eccentric to calculated.
The film’s cast brings an endless supply of talent, mixed with Rapaport’s thoughtful script; Godhead soars to one of the festival’s best. Father and Boy have a strange relationship, and why wouldn’t it be strange? He finds the child who appears to have been abandoned. Speakman has much less screen time than the rest of the cast, but he adds a level of youthful wonder. While Warren’s character is the film’s main focus, he plays a helpful priest with a secret bubbling below the surface. When he begins to unravel due to the self-proclaimed twin prophets and their endless pursuit of his guidance, Warren kicks up his character’s hysterical demeanor. His performance will leave a lump in viewers’ stomachs. Coffey and Farley are played by mind-warped, twisted little freaks, entertainingly well. With Coffey delivering a personal favorite of the year, her ability to get under your skin is unmatched. Godhead has a cast that doesn’t disappoint, and only amplifies the already strong writing.
There are plenty of moments within Godhead that are tense, sucking all the oxygen out of your lungs. Mainly when Firstborn and Father are alone, after hours of attempting to get Father to partake in their request of selecting a God out of the two of them, it wears Father down. Rapaport sheds light on what happens when faith overcomes the mind, making those devoted to it blind to the truth. Their dark truths are hidden from those who interact with them most, adding a bizarre uncertainty that is hard to shake. Most effectively, Rapaport makes it glaringly apparent that not everything, or everyone, within his film is as it appears, and it’s chilling.
Captured in a stunning, hazy black-and-white, Godhead takes the fantastical aspects of religion and places them directly on screen. From walking on water to gruesome childbirths, cinematographer William Babcock, who also shot HIPPO, takes audiences uncomfortably close. Such as forbidden sexual acts where the camera lingers on the sinner. Or witnessing someone fall to their knees with tears streaming down their face as they submit wholly to their beliefs. Glowing white and deep, dark blackness sprawl across the film’s 99-minute runtime, emphasizing the strange, hollowed faces of the twins. Babcock creates an environment that makes those witnessing it question what’s real and what their truths are.
Godhead works best when it’s the trio interacting, all trying to convince the other that their teachings are the absolute. They are intolerant of each other, but their freedom depends on each other’s judgments. It’s a powerful message for the times we are living in. When each new day brings new horrors revealed with the guise of beliefs being the motivation behind them. And questioning those beliefs is seen as more offensive than the darkness those teachings hide. Rapaport proves he’s a filmmaker with a strong sense of direction, and Godhead proves he can handle intense topics with a refreshing, singular style.
Fantasia is a festival that allows films such as this to have a spotlight, with Godhead being at the top of this year’s offerings. From its impeccable cast that riles up a disturbance within the viewer that is hard to shake. To the dreamy black-and-white beauty that shows even the most divine are capable of our worst imaginings.
