Mark H. Rapaport’s new film “Godhead” is a master-class in ratcheting up tension. Shot in black-and-white with camerawork that makes the audience feel like a voyeur uncovering perverse secrets, the film blends faith, sex, lies and discomfort into an unknowable dance between its leads.
The premise begins simply: A rural Catholic priest (Al Warren) is visited by two bizarre twins (Sarah Coffey and Kimball Farley), who look like an unholy blend of Die Antwoord, Grimes and overcooked ravers. They believe they are part of a prophecy and need the priest’s help to fulfill it. They also have a gun. And the priest has a young boy (Luke Speakman) that he seems to keep captive indoors …
To say more would ruin the film’s twists and turns, which were met enthusiastically at its world premiere screenings at Montreal’s genre-focused Fantasia Festival this week.
Rapaport, whose well-received 2023 debut feature “Hippo” also premiered at Fantasia, spoke with Variety about his choice to do another film in black and white, how “Godhead” takes aim at crooked authority figures and leaving the audience with challenging questions.
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