The Aviary is a 2022 American thriller film written and directed by Chris Cullari and Jennifer Raite. It stars Malin Akerman, Sandrine Holt, Lorenza Izzo, and Chris Messina.
| The Aviary | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by |
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| Screenplay by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Elie Smolkin |
| Edited by | David Bilow |
| Music by | Zac Clark |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Saban Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
It was released on April 29, 2022, by Saban Films to mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
editTwo women escape from a dangerous cult into the New Mexican desert. They fear the cult's charming and controlling leader might be following them. With dwindling supplies and fraying nerves, they must confront the challenge of evading an enemy who seems to haunt their thoughts.
Cast
edit- Malin Akerman as Jillian
- Sandrine Holt as Delilah
- Lorenza Izzo as Blair
- Chris Messina as Seth
Production
editThe Aviary was written and directed by Chris Cullari and Jennifer Raite in their feature film debut.[1] The cult portrayed in the film was inspired by NXIVM and Theranos.[2]
In addition to starring in the film, Akerman also served as executive producer.[3]
Release
editIn December 2021, Saban Films acquired distribution rights to the film.[3] It was released on April 29, 2022.[4]
Reception
editOn Rotten Tomatoes, The Aviary has a 63% approval rating based on 27 reviews, and an average rating of 5.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Aviary's adroitly assembled cast lends extra weight to an uneven depiction of how dangerous cults can be."[5] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating reviews from mainstream critics, the film has a score of 57 out of 100, based on seven critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[6]
Noel Murray of the Los Angeles Times praised the cast and considered the film a "strong feature filmmaking debut" from Cullari and Raite. Murray wrote, "If anything, the movie's biggest weakness is that much of the running time consists of Jillian and Blair's exhausted conversations out in the wilderness ... But an excellent cast and some skillful direction goes a long way toward making The Aviary feel genuinely revealing."[7] Steve Davis of The Austin Chronicle wrote, "[The movie is] eventually undermined by an ever-exhausting concept that might have worked better as an hourlong episode in an anthology series. With a little fine-tuning, the ending would have packed a bigger wallop in a truncated version eliminating a coda that only serves to explain the title. "[8]
References
edit- ^ Wilbur, Brock (2022-05-19). "Cult escape drama The Aviary gets as lost as its characters". The Pitch. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
- ^ Wright, William J. (2022-05-17). "Filmmakers Chris Cullari and Jennifer Raite take flight with 'The Aviary'". Rue Morgue. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
- ^ a b Grater, Tom (2021-12-15). "Saban Films Buys North America & More On Thriller 'The Aviary' Starring Malin Akerman". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
- ^ Romanchick, Shame (2022-03-21). "'The Aviary': Trailer and Poster Revealed for Horror Film About Desert Cultists". Collider. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
- ^ "The Aviary". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
- ^ "The Aviary Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
- ^ Murray, Noel (2022-04-29). "Review: Marilyn Monroe, 'Turning Red' and other movies to watch this weekend". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
- ^ Davis, Steve (2022-04-29). "The Aviary". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
External links
edit- The Aviary at IMDb