Faults (2014)

A cult deprogrammer must help a couple whose daughter has recently joined a cult.

Director:

Riley Stearns

Writer:

Riley Stearns

Stars:

Leland Orser, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Ellis

6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Leland Orser	...	Ansel Roth
Mary Elizabeth Winstead	...	Claire
Chris Ellis	...	Dad
Jon Gries	...	Terry
Lance Reddick	...	Mick
Beth Grant	...	Evelyn
Cruz Flores	...	Hotel Staff
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Suzan Averitt	...	Photo Studio Customer
Cindy Buck	...	Mother
David Chandler	...	Waiter
Leonard Earl Howze	...	Raymond
Davey Johnson	...	Concierge
Kellie Matteson	...	Jennifer
Amanda Saunders	...	Receptionist
Nicholas Tucci	...	James

Storyline

Washed-up and broke, an author whose books on mind control were once respected reluctantly helps a couple in deprogramming their daughter from the control of a cult named "Faults." But this assignment turns out to be more complicated than he had expected.

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Plot Keywords:

cult | mind control | death | kidnapping | sexual innuendo | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Writer and director Riley Stearns and star Mary Elizabeth Winstead were married at the time of the film's production.

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Goofs

Ansel steals a 9V battery from the remote control in his hotel room, but the open battery compartment on the remote control can be seen to accept two AA cells, not a 9V.

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Quotes

Ansel: Terry, someday I will be a mountain. But for now, I am a fault.

User Reviews

Well done dark comedy turns into disturbing thriller

The movie may have been made in 2014, but the TVs in the motel have channel changers that go "clunk, clunk, clunk". I miss those. In this digital era, those would not be possible. Also, somehow, the TV plays a VHS tape. I didn't see the VCR, but we see a tape of a TV episode where Ansel takes advantage of a victim of a cult, making money and getting famous by showing the world her emotions.

This is a very complicated movie. The summary that came with my TiVo listings called it "drama, thriller, suspense". They forgot comedy. At least for the movie's first half, it is quite obvious that we are supposed to laugh, even though the humor is quite dark and disturbing. Ansel's goons are funny. Well, one of them, anyway. Leland Orser is definitely funny, but comes across as quite intelligent when he finally shows he knows what he is doing. Mostly Ansel is a moron, but Orser, on the other hand, really knows what he is doing even then.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who has done a great job in several roles where I have seen her, does a fantastic job here. No, she's not really funny in most scenes (though she is when she gets flirty), but she doesn't have to be. I would call her scared and submissive in the early scenes, but there is a strength and confidence that come through, based on her faith in this quirky religion. Later on she is the one who is clearly strong and confident, in the sense we usually see these qualities, and she seems to be examining and treating Ansel, as if she is the psychiatrist and he is the patient. In a more popular movie, such a performance might get an Oscar nomination. I question the short shorts Claire's father provided, given how conservative he is, but she does look good in them.

The parents are pretty much what one would expect. Once he feels he is being taken advantage of, the father becomes very demanding and threatening. The mother is more pleasant.

It's not family friendly and it wouldn't be expected to be, but aside from a few bleeped words and one entire scene where the sound goes out, I guess it's not so bad.

I couldn't say what happens at the end if I wanted. Well, I could, but I couldn't explain it.

It is a worthy effort.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 March 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Faults

Company Credits

Production Co:

Snoot Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1