The producers were grossly out of touch with the manner in which cults really operate. The acting is very poor. From the very beginning the viewer realizes this retreat is run by a some deranged characters. There is no sense of being "drawn in." Good films in this genre are presented in a manner that is almost believable, such as the Blair Witch. In the Blair Witch the viewer is slowly moved into the horror allowing the terror to be far more experiential. In this film we know in the first ten minutes that some horror is awaiting.
The movie uses far too much "preachy" material in the first quarter of the film. Many will grow quickly bored and may not hang around for the action. Personally, as a United Methodist I was uncomfortable with the sect using the UM logo of the cross and flame on the t-shirts. Many, if not most United Methodist are not fundamentalists. This personal element made everything from the outset to be unbelievable.