A medieval murder mystery and behind it supernatural horror within in The Appearance! The film is directed by Kurt Knight who was the director for four seasons of the fantasy show, The Outpost (2018-2021). The Appearance is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. There are whispers in the dark and then a scream! Into a room, a bearded monk, blind in one eye, Felix (Adam Johnson) walks to a circle of other monks. Johnson returned to play Thane in Mythica: Stormbound. He played Munt in The Outpost. Felix is looking down at an unseen body and says it is murder. The abbot, Scipio (Michael Flynn) says, “It was her.” Flynn played General Calkussar in The Outpost. He was Vagamar in the first film, Mythica: A Quest for Heroes (2014).
Felix replies that she is in a cage. We see the pale body of the monk, his chest slashed, with a bloody dagger. Felix is writing a letter, he hears a creaking, and turns. There is some creepiness in this movie! A young boy (Lex Lindsey) opens a door and in the darkness sees disturbing images of a white cross and screaming. Then, we see a closeup of his eyes as a man, Mateho (Jake Stormoen). Mythica: Stormbournd was directed by Stormoen. He had played in the series, Dagen, with the last film, Mythica: The Godslayer (2016). Stormoen starred as Captain Garret Spears in The Outpost. He sits up in his white cloak. Across from him is Johnny (Kristian Nairn) setting clothes on a line. Nairn is known for playing Hodor, in Game of Thrones. He was Tek in Mythica: The Godslayer.
Johnny asks about his dream and if he entered the room. Mateho says he never does enter it. We hear the voice of Felix from his letter to Mateho about the monk who died at Hedgerow Abbey. He requests an inquistor of the True Dawn. Felix writes that the abbott suspects the death is from the witch and wants to kill her. Mateho places his letter on his journal. Johnny is kneeling in prayer in his pauldron armor with his hand on his sword. Mateho walks past him, he is not a believer. They break camp and then walk with heavy packs and white cloaks. The duo walk from the forest to a hill overlooking the abbey. It is in a clearing surrounded by forests below some mountains. Mateho says he is nervous returning to it. They reach the abbey and see a body covered by a cloth.
Johnny notes that it is the plague. A woman screams at the inquisitor that the witch has to burn. The people are suspicious of them. They see the gate, but Mateho turns to see a pole, Johnny says they are too late. We see the woman’s body, charred, and tied to the stale! Grisly. The duo calls up to the closed gate. In response, the villagers come out of the mist, there is some creepy images, but this one is bizarre. Mateho introduces himself and a man with a plague doctor mask, black lens and long raven-like beak, appears as the portcullis is finally raised. The monk says he is young for an inquisitor. He takes off his mask and it is Felix. He says he will take them to the abbott, but Mateho insists that he see the girl.
Felix takes them down steps and Johnny stops saying that he will question others. Mateho explains to Felix that Johnny has claustrophobia. Then, they continue into the tunnels carrying torches, Felix warns that the tunnels can be confusing. Mateho says he remembers. Sunlight brings square patches on a dark cell occupied by a girl (Baylee Self). She has her back turned to them, shuddering, in chains. Mateho asks about the condition of the prisoner. Felix says he is only a scribe. Mateho kneels to say he is going to help her. No response. Then, he asks if she confessed. He has an answer, “Not yet”, from Scipio. It feels like Scipio personally wants the girl to die. The abbott wonders why is there and Felix admits that he requested the inquisitor.
Mateho says the girl is too young to practice black magic. He wants to remove her chains which Scipio says there has no problems since they put her in chains and has a crucifix tied to the cell. Scipio wants to put her through a test and Mateho says that’s only a last step, but he agrees to it. He holds up the crucufix and asks the girl to look at it. The girl turns and there is an almost smile. She doesn’t look at the cross. Mateho says it is because she was tortured by the monks. The abbott says the girl has no family and if she was set free the townspeople would kill her. Scipio insists that Mateho leave, but he refuses to go. I like the tension between them. The abbott leaves and Mateho asks Felix to see the murder scene. There is still a blood stain and Felix shows Mateho the dagger. He says there was no signs of a struggle.
Then, Mateho asks to see the body, and Felix leads him around the abbey to a room with Francisco’s pale body wrapped in white. Mateho asks to be alone and then rips open the cloth to see markings on the chest. Then, he pours an orange liquid on the wounds, wine was used as a disinfectant. Mateho places a cloth on the chest and the wounds form the cross that was in his journal! He calls in Felix and asks if he was asked in particular to investigate. Mateho says all of the monks are suspects! Felix is leading Mateho and Johnny down steps to their room. Felix explains to Mateho that Francisco was part of the inner circle. He had spent time in the sanctum which Felix says only members of the circle can enter.
Felix lights a candle before Johnny enters his room and then for Mateho. The crenel is in the shape of the cross which projects the sunlight on the room’s wall. A full moon and Mateho can’t sleep from the noise. There is a thumping noise behind a door. It is Johnny whipping his back in flagellation. There must be a reason behind his punishment. Mateho manages to sleep and is back to his dream as a boy. He is checking out a room of boxes.Mateho is restless with the dream and then skinless, red hands reach out to calm him! Shivers. Young Mateho reaches out for the door and then a scream wakes him from the dream! Mateho lights a candle and then something lifts from his sheets! He is disturbed by a knock.
Mateho opens the door and looks around the dark corridor with his candle. A whisper is heard. This movie is really chilling. Mateho heads down to the tunnels with a torch. Something sweeps past him and then enters the cell with Isabel who is asleep. He looks at a door and then is shocked by images of his past! Mateho takes out the cloth with the bloody symbols. The door is locked. The sanctum or its secrets must be behind the door. Then, Isabel surprises him, she does not have on the chains, and Mateho shows her the cloth. She says she is not the evil that haunts the abbey. He asks her about the monks and she shows him the bloody scars on her wrist. Mateho then asks her about the dead monk. Isabel says she knows the inner circle and then smiles. He asks her if she knows why she was accused. Isabel says, “Help me.” Then goes to write the symbol on a cloth. We see Mateho earlier in a church scribbling the symbol in his journal. The Appearance is a horror movie set in a medieval time with Mateho investigating the mystery tied to his past!
Five Daggers out of Five!
#TheAppearance, #KurtKnight, #JakeStormoen, #KristianNairn, #AdamJohnson, #BayleeSelf, #LexLindsey, #OscarRSanchez, #MichaelFlynn
No comments:
Post a Comment