• Latest
  • Trending
Shadow Of God Review

Shadow Of God Review: Redefining Possession in a Chilling Light

Without a Dawn Review

Without a Dawn Review: Introspection in a Cabin of Shadows

The Correspondent Review

The Correspondent Review: Richard Roxburgh’s Tour de Force

Bogieville Review

Bogieville Review: Low-Budget Ingenuity and Flawed Execution

Slow Horses

Slow Horses Rides Back on 24 September With Season 5

2 hours ago
A Minecraft Movie

SXSW Panel Reveals How Minecraft Movie Crafted a $948 M Blockbuster

2 hours ago
Ollie Madden

Netflix Poaches Film4 Chief Ollie Madden to Supercharge U.K. Movie Slate

2 hours ago
Mariska Hargitay

Hargitay’s ‘My Mom Jayne’ Lifts the Curtain on a Hollywood Tragedy

3 hours ago
Aureole – Wings of Hope Review

Aureole – Wings of Hope Review: Precision Platforming with a Divine Twist

Coastal Review

Coastal Review: Intimate Performances, Tepid Momentum

The Dark Money Game

The Dark Money Game Review: How Secret Funds Warped Democracy

Call of the Void Review

Call of the Void Review: Atmospheric Chills and Lingering Questions

Dovey's Promise Review

Dovey’s Promise Review: One Woman’s Stand Against Injustice

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Gazettely Review Guidelines
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
GAZETTELY
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    Slow Horses

    Slow Horses Rides Back on 24 September With Season 5

    A Minecraft Movie

    SXSW Panel Reveals How Minecraft Movie Crafted a $948 M Blockbuster

    Ollie Madden

    Netflix Poaches Film4 Chief Ollie Madden to Supercharge U.K. Movie Slate

    Mariska Hargitay

    Hargitay’s ‘My Mom Jayne’ Lifts the Curtain on a Hollywood Tragedy

    frankenstein 2025

    Fans Push for Big-Screen Run After Netflix Drops Frankenstein Teaser

    Blake Lively Justin Baldoni

    Judge Faces New Twist as Lively Seeks to Trim Lawsuit Against Baldoni

    Jacob Elordi

    Elordi’s POW Drama Leads to Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights

    Paramount

    Paramount Sets July 2 Shareholder Meeting as Skydance Vote Looms

    Maggie Lawson

    Psych Alum Maggie Lawson to Lead CBS’s Boston Blue

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    The Correspondent Review

    The Correspondent Review: Richard Roxburgh’s Tour de Force

    Bogieville Review

    Bogieville Review: Low-Budget Ingenuity and Flawed Execution

    Coastal Review

    Coastal Review: Intimate Performances, Tepid Momentum

    The Dark Money Game

    The Dark Money Game Review: How Secret Funds Warped Democracy

    Call of the Void Review

    Call of the Void Review: Atmospheric Chills and Lingering Questions

    Dovey's Promise Review

    Dovey’s Promise Review: One Woman’s Stand Against Injustice

    The Balcony Movie Review

    The Balcony Movie Review: A Philosophical Perch on Human Transience

    What It Feels Like for a Girl Season 1 Review

    What It Feels Like for a Girl Season 1 Review: Before Trans Visibility Had a Name

    Bullet Train Explosion Review

    Bullet Train Explosion Review: Bureaucracy, Bombs, and the Weight of Duty

  • Game Reviews
    Without a Dawn Review

    Without a Dawn Review: Introspection in a Cabin of Shadows

    Aureole – Wings of Hope Review

    Aureole – Wings of Hope Review: Precision Platforming with a Divine Twist

    Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Brushes with Death Review

    Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Brushes with Death Review: A Painter’s Tale in Bohemia

    Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo Review

    Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo Review: Guiding Spirits with Style and Sincerity

    Blacksmith Master Review

    Blacksmith Master Review: The Satisfying Grind of Metal and Management

    Labyrinth Of The Demon King Review

    Labyrinth Of The Demon King Review: Unforgiving, Unforgettable Horror

    Cubic Odyssey Review

    Cubic Odyssey Review: An Ambitious Architect’s Space Dream

    Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review

    Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review: A Song of Systems and Sorrows

    To a T Review

    To a T Review: Finding Perfection in an Imperfect Shape

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    Slow Horses

    Slow Horses Rides Back on 24 September With Season 5

    A Minecraft Movie

    SXSW Panel Reveals How Minecraft Movie Crafted a $948 M Blockbuster

    Ollie Madden

    Netflix Poaches Film4 Chief Ollie Madden to Supercharge U.K. Movie Slate

    Mariska Hargitay

    Hargitay’s ‘My Mom Jayne’ Lifts the Curtain on a Hollywood Tragedy

    frankenstein 2025

    Fans Push for Big-Screen Run After Netflix Drops Frankenstein Teaser

    Blake Lively Justin Baldoni

    Judge Faces New Twist as Lively Seeks to Trim Lawsuit Against Baldoni

    Jacob Elordi

    Elordi’s POW Drama Leads to Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights

    Paramount

    Paramount Sets July 2 Shareholder Meeting as Skydance Vote Looms

    Maggie Lawson

    Psych Alum Maggie Lawson to Lead CBS’s Boston Blue

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    The Correspondent Review

    The Correspondent Review: Richard Roxburgh’s Tour de Force

    Bogieville Review

    Bogieville Review: Low-Budget Ingenuity and Flawed Execution

    Coastal Review

    Coastal Review: Intimate Performances, Tepid Momentum

    The Dark Money Game

    The Dark Money Game Review: How Secret Funds Warped Democracy

    Call of the Void Review

    Call of the Void Review: Atmospheric Chills and Lingering Questions

    Dovey's Promise Review

    Dovey’s Promise Review: One Woman’s Stand Against Injustice

    The Balcony Movie Review

    The Balcony Movie Review: A Philosophical Perch on Human Transience

    What It Feels Like for a Girl Season 1 Review

    What It Feels Like for a Girl Season 1 Review: Before Trans Visibility Had a Name

    Bullet Train Explosion Review

    Bullet Train Explosion Review: Bureaucracy, Bombs, and the Weight of Duty

  • Game Reviews
    Without a Dawn Review

    Without a Dawn Review: Introspection in a Cabin of Shadows

    Aureole – Wings of Hope Review

    Aureole – Wings of Hope Review: Precision Platforming with a Divine Twist

    Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Brushes with Death Review

    Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Brushes with Death Review: A Painter’s Tale in Bohemia

    Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo Review

    Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo Review: Guiding Spirits with Style and Sincerity

    Blacksmith Master Review

    Blacksmith Master Review: The Satisfying Grind of Metal and Management

    Labyrinth Of The Demon King Review

    Labyrinth Of The Demon King Review: Unforgiving, Unforgettable Horror

    Cubic Odyssey Review

    Cubic Odyssey Review: An Ambitious Architect’s Space Dream

    Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review

    Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review: A Song of Systems and Sorrows

    To a T Review

    To a T Review: Finding Perfection in an Imperfect Shape

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
GAZETTELY
No Result
View All Result
Shadow Of God Review

Relative Control Review: Juggling Worlds, Finding Focus

Zero Review: Navigating Power and Peril on Senegal's Streets

Home Entertainment Movies

Shadow Of God Review: Redefining Possession in a Chilling Light

Caleb Anderson by Caleb Anderson
1 day ago
in Entertainment, Movies, Reviews
Reading Time: 6 mins read
A A
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on PinterestShare on WhatsAppShare on Telegram

The exorcism movie. It’s a subgenre I’ve often felt has sputtered its last rites, each new entry a paler imitation of the last. So, when “Shadow Of God” crossed my path, I approached with caution, yet found myself intrigued by its attempt to breathe unholy life into old bones.

We meet Father Mason Harper, a man already walking a tightrope of faith and fatigue, his spirit frayed by a recent, terrifying ritual. His reluctant journey back to the frost-bitten landscapes of his Alberta hometown isn’t a nostalgic homecoming; it’s a descent into a well of past anguish.

The air immediately thickens with the inexplicable reappearance of his father, Angus, a figure Mason believed long buried. This chilling return isn’t just a family reunion; it’s the ominous overture to a story that promises to dig its fingers into the raw nerves of childhood trauma, intertwined with a truly disquieting supernatural horror.

Ghosts of the Past, Present Tense

Mason’s return to his roots is anything but comforting. Reconnecting with Tanis Green, a childhood friend, brings a fleeting sense of shared history, but their bond is forged in the fires of a shared trauma: survival of the abusive cult spearheaded by Mason’s own father. It’s a setup that speaks to those unsettling homecomings many of us experience, where the geography itself seems to hold onto bad memories.

The film captures this unease well before the truly strange begins. And strange it becomes with Angus’s return. Mason’s disbelief quickly shatters against the reality of his father’s physical, yet deeply altered, presence. This isn’t merely a man back from the dead; Angus is a vessel, animated by an entity whose nature remains unsettlingly ambiguous, steering clear of typical demonic tells and thus ratcheting up Mason’s—and our—apprehension.

This narrative choice, to cloak the possessor in shadow, is a smart one, letting the mystery breathe. Adding another layer of dread, Angus’s old fanatical cult begins to stir, their renewed, violent activities a dark mirror to his resurrection, making it clear that the past is not only unburied but actively clawing its way into the present. Mason is thus trapped, forced to confront the architect of his deepest wounds while battling a growing, insidious spiritual threat.

Portraits of Pain and Power

Mark O’Brien as Father Mason is a compelling anchor. He wears the priest’s exhaustion like a second skin, his eyes reflecting a soul stretched thin by past horrors and present anxieties. It’s a performance that sidesteps histrionics, finding power in the portrayal of a man whose faith is not a shield but a constantly tested burden, his chain-smoking a small, visible act of rebellion against the suffocating piety he once knew.

Shadow Of God Review

Opposite him, Shaun Johnston as Angus carries the difficult task of embodying both the tyrannical father and the enigmatic presence within. There are moments where a flicker of something like remorse seems to cross his features, quickly swallowed by an unnerving otherworldly quality, making his character a truly disturbing enigma.

Jacqueline Byers as Tanis provides a necessary grounding presence, a fellow survivor whose strength is quiet yet palpable, though one wishes the script sometimes gave her more agency beyond being Mason’s touchstone.

The film wades deep into the murky waters of religious trauma, a theme that resonates powerfully in an age where many are re-evaluating inherited belief systems and speaking out about the damage wrought by extremism. “Shadow Of God” doesn’t shy away from the psychological scars left by a childhood lived under the shadow of fanaticism.

It questions the very nature of devotion when it becomes twisted into a tool of control, a conversation that feels particularly relevant today. The fraught relationship between Mason and Angus, now further complicated by supernatural interference, forces an exploration of forgiveness, retribution, and the near-impossibility of healing when the abuser literally returns to haunt you.

Sights and Sounds of Unease

Director Michael Peterson demonstrates a keen understanding of how to build atmosphere on what appears to be a modest budget, a hallmark of resourceful independent filmmaking. There are some striking visual choices – a scene bathed in an infernal red light, creating an effective overlay of visages, sticks in the mind, as does a disorienting sequence depicting an “upside-down world” where black becomes white.

Shadow Of God Review

These moments showcase a visual flair that punches above its weight, reminding me of how early cult classics often used inventive, low-fi techniques to create lasting iconic imagery. The film blends psychological dread with the more visceral shocks of possession and cult horror, set against the stark, isolating backdrop of the Canadian winter, which itself becomes a character, amplifying the sense of cold desolation.

The sound design contributes significantly to the unease, with a score that often opts for unsettling ambience over telegraphed jump scares. However, there are instances where dialogue clarity becomes a casualty, a common pitfall in independent productions that can, unfortunately, momentarily pull the viewer out of an otherwise immersive experience.

It’s like finding a scratch on a cherished vinyl record; you still love the music, but the imperfection is noted. Peterson also weaves in nods to classic horror, a wink to “Raiders of the Lost Ark” here, a touch of cosmic dread there, generally integrating these influences without letting them overwhelm the film’s own developing identity.

When Heaven Itself Harbors Ill Will

The masterstroke of “Shadow Of God,” and where it truly plants its flag in unconventional territory, is the audacious implication that the entity possessing Angus is not from the infernal pits but from somewhere altogether more… celestial. Yet, this is no benevolent spirit; it’s a force with a terrifying, seemingly misanthropic design for humanity.

Shadow Of God Review

This is a bold, gutsy move, one that takes the well-worn tropes of the exorcism film and turns them inside out. It challenges the audience to consider a spiritual conflict far more complex than the usual demons-versus-priests binary. It’s the kind of narrative risk-taking I often champion in independent cinema, a willingness to poke at uncomfortable theological questions.

This “divine” possession elevates the film beyond simple genre fare, prompting a deeper contemplation of religious fanaticism from an unexpected angle. If the divine can be a source of such terror, what does that say about the nature of absolute power itself?

The film’s mythology, drawing from Old Testament severity, apocalyptic visions, and its own unique supernatural rules, is ambitious. While the reveal of the entity’s nature might feel somewhat understated to some, lacking a bombastic crescendo, its quiet horror has a way of lingering.

The narrative wrestles with these grand ideas, and while the execution might sometimes strain against its budgetary seams, its ambition to reframe spiritual horror for a modern audience grappling with fractured faith is commendable. The film’s resolution for Mason is hard-won, offering no easy answers but reflecting a realistic, if bleak, understanding of trauma and the arduous path toward any semblance of peace.

Shadow of God premiered at the Calgary Underground Film Festival in April 2025 and was released digitally on April 11, 2025. It is available for streaming on AMC+, Shudder, Philo, and can be rented or purchased on platforms like Apple TV, Amazon Video, and Fandango at Home.

Full Credits

Director: Michael Peterson

Writer: Tim Cairo

Producers and Executive Producers: Kendall Anlian, Taylor Nodrick, David Hiatt, Michael Peterson, Kurtis David Harder; Executive Producers: Tim Cairo, Brendan Halloran, Priscilla Ross Smith

Cast: Mark O’Brien, Jacqueline Byers, Shaun Johnston, Josh Cruddas, Adrian Hough, David Haysom, Barb Mitchell, Alexis McKenna

Director of Photography (Cinematographer): David Baron

Editor: Rob Grant

Composers: Graham Walsh, Alex Edkins

The Review

Shadow Of God

6.5 Score

"Shadow Of God" offers a commendably ambitious and frequently chilling spin on familiar exorcism narratives, elevated by Mark O'Brien's compelling lead performance and its brave exploration of religious trauma. Though occasional narrative unevenness and the visible constraints of its budget sometimes surface, the film's audacious central concept and its willingness to pose difficult theological questions make it a notable and thought-provoking entry for viewers seeking horror with intellectual depth. It’s a journey into a uniquely unsettling darkness.

PROS

  • Intriguing and subversive central premise involving divine possession.
  • Strong, nuanced lead performance by Mark O'Brien.
  • Meaningful exploration of religious trauma and abusive power dynamics.
  • Effectively unsettling atmosphere and some striking visual moments.
  • Attempts narrative innovation within the horror genre.

CONS

  • Some supporting character arcs feel underdeveloped.
  • Dialogue clarity can be inconsistent, affecting immersion.
  • Visual execution sometimes limited by apparent budget constraints.
  • The ambitious story can occasionally lead to uneven pacing.

Review Breakdown

  • Overall 0
Tags: Adrian HoughBarb MitchellDavid FeehanDramaFeaturedHorrorJacqueline ByersJosh CruddasMark O'BrienMichael PetersonShadow of GodShaun JohnstonShudderThriller
Previous Post

Relative Control Review: Juggling Worlds, Finding Focus

Next Post

Zero Review: Navigating Power and Peril on Senegal’s Streets

Try AI Movie Recommender

Gazettely AI Movie Recommender

This Week's Top Reads

  • Mountainhead Review

    Mountainhead Review: Deepfakes and Deep Trouble

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Boglands Review: Shadows and Whispers in the Irish Mist

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Death Valley Review: A Witty Welsh Wander into Cosy Crime

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 1 Review – Bridging Eras with Spellbinding Charm

    25 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Better Sister Season 1 Review: Not Quite a Killer Thriller

    16 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Nine Puzzles Season 1 Review: Puzzle Pieces, Pain, and Police Procedurals

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • MobLand Season 1 Review: Family Ties and Underworld Intrigues

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Must Read Articles

Bullet Train Explosion Review
Movies

Bullet Train Explosion Review: Bureaucracy, Bombs, and the Weight of Duty

18 hours ago
Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review
Reviews Games

Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review: A Song of Systems and Sorrows

3 days ago
Stick Season 1 Review
TV Shows

Stick Season 1 Review: Owen Wilson Drives a Heartfelt, Flawed Dramedy

3 days ago
Destination X Review
Entertainment

Destination X Review: A Game of Veiled Realities

4 days ago
Earnhardt Review
Entertainment

Earnhardt Review: The Anatomy of a NASCAR Titan

4 days ago
Loading poll ...
Coming Soon
Who is the best director in the horror thriller genre?

Gazettely is your go-to destination for all things gaming, movies, and TV. With fresh reviews, trending articles, and editor picks, we help you stay informed and entertained.

© 2021-2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

What’s Inside

  • Movie & TV Reviews
  • Game Reviews
  • Featured Articles
  • Latest News
  • Editorial Picks

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About US
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Review Guidelines

Follow Us

Facebook X-twitter Youtube Instagram
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movies
  • Entertainment News
  • Movie and TV Reviews
  • TV Shows
  • Game News
  • Game Reviews
  • Contact Us

© 2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

Go to mobile version