Starring: Emma Greenwell, Joe Egender and Brenan McCarthy
Director: Mitchell Altieri
Rated: R
A young woman named Charlotte (Emma Greenwell) enlists the help of Wayne (Brendan McCarthy) a former marine turned current alcoholic to travel to the Tennessee backwoods home of “The Church of One Accord”, a tight knit religious community who practice snake handling in there sermons Which happens to be the last known residence of Charlottes missing sister.
Director Mitchel Altieri sets the tone from the get go for this southern gothic mystery with black and white archival footage of Christian snake handlers before jumping into the meat of the story. What sets this small film apart is the visual style you know from the title screen that there was
some thought put into the style. Continually intermixing gorgeous landscapes between the narrative really gives the film a unique feeling. The isolation and beauty that these Tennessean backwoods contain is the perfect backdrop for this church.
For all the alluring charm that Brother Billy (Joe Egender) is able exude in his sermons and handling of his snake Satan you know there is something more sinister at this religious compound. Charlotte and Wayne are quickly wrapped up and seduced by the simplicity and righteousness of all that Billy prophases. The deep these two get into the church and meet with the people the more they realize something isn’t right. The layers of regret and deceit continue to pile on with each new wrinkle displayed in a montage of flashbacks.
Never straightforward Holy Ghost People was a welcome surprise that deserves some backwoods praise.
Grade-88