Jordan Downey's horror film The Cycle arrives on the streaming service Shudder on Friday, October 23. The plot follows a forensic scientist who must investigate the mysterious appearance of her estranged father's body near a gruesome crime scene.
The Body Farm and the Mystery of Peter's Corpse
The narrative centers on Meg, a forensic scientist played by Deborah Ann Woll, who works at a facility known as the Body Farm. According to the report, this setting is dedicated to studying human decomposition under various conditions, a premise that provides a grimly atmospheric foundation for the film's first act.
The plot is set in motion when local police officers Ian and his father approach Meg with a baffling case. A mother and daughter were found violently mauled by an unknown animal, and nearby, the body of Meg's father, Peter, was discovered. while Peter showed no signs of animal attack, the report notes that he had been dead much longer than the women and appeared to have been placed at the scene deliberately.
A Tonal Tug-of-War Between Brooding Mystery and Malignant-style Silliness
The Cycle attempts to fuse two distinct horror modes: a grounded, brooding mystery and a more flamboyant, effects-driven scare. This approach mirrors a broader trend in modern horror where filmmakers attempt "subgenre exercises," blending psychological dread with the high-concept absurdity seen in films like James Wan's Malignant.
However, the report suggests that director Jordan Downey fails to mesh these tones effectively. While the first act promises a skin-crawling experience, the film eventually pivots toward a style of horror that emphasizes special effects as a "creative act" rather than a narrative tool. This shift creates a jarring experience where the emotional weight of the violence clashes with the inherent silliness of the creature effects, often shattering the viewer's suspension of disbelief.
Deborah Ann Woll's Performance as the Anchor
Despite the film's uneven pacing, the performance of Deborah Ann Woll is cited as a primary saving grace. Woll portrays Meg as a woman haunted by the childhood trauma of her father's abandonment, bringing a level of "gumption" to the role that the report compares to her previous work as Karen in the series Daredevil.
Woll's abiilty to maintain a serious, emotionally invested presence helps the movie remain entertaining even as the plot wanders. Her performance provides a necessary tether for the audience, making the shifts back into the forensic investigation of Peter's death the most welcome parts of the cinematic experience.
The Unnamed Horror and the Sagging Third Act
One of the most frustrating elements of The Cycle is its handling of its central reveal. The film attempts to keep the nature of its horror a secret, but the report claims it does a poor job of this, making the eventual explanation feel delayed rather than surprising.
This leads to a sagging runtime, as the script takes an excessive amount of time to admit what is actually happening. This leaves several questions unanswered for the viewer: specifically, why the script avoids a direct reveal for so long and whether the "unnamed" horror is truly a new concept or a derivative of existing creature-feature tropes . While the mystery itself is described as "pretty good," the execution leaves the film as something that is easy to admire for its ideas but difficult to love as a cohesive piece of art.
Comments 0