'The Leader' Review: Tim Blake Nelson and Vera Farmiga Shine in Heaven's Gate Cult Drama at Tribeca
By
Pete Hammond
A baker's-dozen of insight crammed into one ring.
Summary
A review of Michael Gallagher's film 'The Leader' about the Heaven's Gate cult and its 1997 mass suicide. The film stars Tim Blake Nelson and Vera Farmiga as the cult leaders, and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. The director's personal connection to cults (his grandparents formed a spiritual commune and a cousin joined a cult) drove his interest in the subject. The review highlights the powerful performances and the film's depiction of the real-life tragedy that resulted in 39 deaths.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledWriter-director Michael Gallagher, another filmmaker who got his start on YouTube with millions of followers for shows like TotallySketch, has always been a bit obsessed with the infamous Heaven's Gate 1997 mass suicide in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
His interest in this horrific event and the cult that led to it was increased by his own paternal grandparents dropping out and forming a spiritual commune, and later by a cousin joining a cult from which she had to be saved.
The whole idea of these kinds of cults, run...
You might also wanna read
Michael Gallagher and Tim Blake Nelson on the Research Behind Heaven's Gate Film 'The Leader'
Director Michael Gallagher, who lived near the Heaven's Gate cult's mass suicide site as a child, spent years researching the cult to create
Variety·3d ago
'The Leader' Review: Tim Blake Nelson's Disturbing Portrayal of Heaven's Gate Cult Leader
A review of Michael Gallagher's film "The Leader," which dramatizes the Heaven's Gate cult and its leader Marshall Applewhite. The review ex
Variety·4d ago
Jason Blum Compares Post-COVID Horror Film Boom to 1970s Edgy Cinema at Produced By Conference
At the Produced By conference, producers Jason Blum and James Wan declared the film business is strongly rebounding post-COVID. Blum compare
Variety·16d ago
Masters of the Universe Film Releases Two New Featurettes Ahead of Theatrical Debut
A promotional article announcing the upcoming release of the Masters of the Universe film, which is one week away from hitting theaters. The
Inside the Eternal Values Cult: How a Charismatic Leader Used New Age Spirituality to Control Followers
A documentary director and a former member discuss the Eternal Values cult, which operated in the 1970s-80s and was led by a charismatic fig
Rolling Stone·14d ago
Listen to 'Eternia' Track from Masters of the Universe Score by Daniel Pemberton and Brian May
A preview of the track 'Eternia' from the Masters of the Universe film score, composed by Daniel Pemberton and Brian May (Queen guitarist),