Abigail Before Beatrice is as compelling as it is hauntingly affecting and sad. The more Cassie Keet’s excellent film goes on, the closer you get to the edge of your seat. Olivia Taylor Dudley is utterly devastating here as a lost soul desperate to reclaim her sense of belonging.

Beatrice (Olivia Taylor Dudley) is an isolated woman living a lonely existence as a telemarketer, whilst also trying to sell her strawberry jam for extra income. Even returning to her former home to collect the produce she grew isn’t enough to keep her content. When her former friend Abigail (Riley Dandy) returns, she brings disconcerting news about the man who led them astray.

Cassie Keet has delivered an entrancing slow-burn film in Abigail Before Beatrice. A film that builds the tension expertly as we discover what caused Beatrice to become so lost and what exactly happened at that farm years prior. Interestingly, Keet doesn’t merely focus her story on a cult falling apart; instead, she is far more interested in the ramifications of the members of such a group after it has been torn apart. For every cult story that has its victims who realise the situation they were in and need to escape it, some people were so deeply intertwined psychologically with that world that the sudden break of it is hard to deal with.

With the focus of the film being on Beatrice and her post-cult life, we begin to see a woman who has lost her family. Even as dysfunctional as that group was, she felt a sense of belonging there; she felt a part of the group. With that all gone, she is back where she was, only people know her as the girl from the cult. Yet she doesn’t help herself; while the rest of the group went miles from the farm, she lives nearby and still visits it to pick the strawberries and other produce she has built and grown there. Abigail Before Beatrice quickly becomes a haunting look at a soul who was left behind, unable to emotionally deal with what happened to her.

In that sense, the film fills you with intrigue and questions. Where exactly is Keet going with this portrait of a woman who never got the chance to rehabilitate, instead being left to her own delusions? By pulling at us with many emotional threads (almost always at poor Beatrice’s expense), Keet introduces her as this seemingly poor, lonely woman who has had a troubled past. However, hope remains despite the obvious secret she is keeping.

So automatically, you are not only intrigued by her but also empathetic to whatever she is struggling with. Then, as the film progresses, that empathy evolves to pity and pain for her. Unbeknownst to her, she has been a victim of manipulation. As such, she clings to any social interaction post-cult. Utterly desperate and misguided, she is as vulnerable as a person can be.

Even the small notes Keet shows us, such as seeing how Beatrice’s jam isn’t as popular at the local grocery store. That is until the podcast detailing what happened at the farm propels her name to mini fame, where the audience of that podcast suddenly learn of Beatrice and where she sells her jam (thanks to the shop owner). It’s just heartbreaking to see her struggle, as any chance of catching a break is soon snatched away from her as quickly as she even had a chance to glimpse it.

Keet also makes the wise decision to adopt a non-linear structure, starting with Abigail Before Beatrice. This works immensely, as we get to see how broken the relationship is between the two titular characters and the complex relationship they have. There is a deep love between them from their time at the farm, and even someone who has broken away from it all, like Sarah, can’t help but be pulled into that romantic orbit of Beatrice. In those flashbacks, we see why that is: Beatrice was Abigail’s ever-present rock on the farm. With each flashback, not only are we increasingly compelled, but our hearts sink as we can see exactly why and where it will all fall to pieces.

While these flashbacks to the house are compelling and at times fill you with edge-of-your-seat dread, it is the final flashback, when we see how Grayson and Beatrice first met. In any other world, that scene marks the start of a perfect romantic drama. A lovely little meet-cute that you could easily watch on its own. Yet, that is the strength in the performances; we can see how Grayson (Shayn Herndon) reels people like Beatrice into his flock.

It isn’t a performance that showcases this dynamic and magnetic man; instead, Herndon plays Grayson as a highly empathetic individual, someone who listens and keeps you at ease. Shows these vulnerable women that a life where they are seen, heard, and treated well is available to them. That meet-cute scene shows that in all of its glory.

However, the actual standout performance is from our lead, Olivia Taylor Dudley. She is simply sensational as the lost Beatrice, a woman who lost everything when Grayson was arrested. She nails this performance as we are pained each time she is discarded or led astray, with the final scenes being truly unmissable. Just one look at her face and especially the eyes fills you with such sorrow for her, and in the final scenes, you feel every bit of pain she is going through. She captivates and haunts you in equal parts in such a strong performance.

Riley Dandy also does some great work here as Abigail (or Sarah), a character introduced to the group who, like Beatrice, buys into the world that Grayson has created. Instead of falling deeper into this “perfect” farm, she can see the issues with Grayson and gradually understands what is actually happening. It’s a nuanced and believable performance that could easily have had enough story for us to follow Abigail’s own journey post the farm.

That is one of Abigail’s strengths. Before Beatrice, there is so much story in here that even at close to two hours, you could easily watch more of it. Keet’s writing is such a strength, to write engaging characters and place them in situations that emotionally haunt you. It’s all so believable, and that is what makes the film as impactful as it is.

Abigail Before Beatrice poses a multitude of questions to its audience and, rather purposely, leaves us to form our own answers. While that may frustrate some, here it actually works to the film’s benefit. We are complex creatures, and when thrown into entirely complex situations, sometimes there are no easy answers, and in some cases, no answers at all.

In the end, this is a film that has many positives, from Keet’s wonderful sense of storytelling to the unbelievable performances from Olivia Taylor Dudley and the rest of the cast. Even the way that cinematographer William Tanner Sampson shoots the film with that distant melancholy, it rightfully hooks you in. It’s a story that you need to watch.

★★★★

Abigail Before Beatrice is showing on October 21st at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival

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