This week we’re monitoring an independent film we discovered through our horror community. Older Gods (2023) is the debut feature from the production company Wagyu Films who have produced over 1000 commercials. The movie is described as a Lovecraftian descent into madness for fans of Silent Hill, Hereditary and Hellraiser. Our test subject Leah, a forty-two year old businesswoman with a fear of the occult, was hooked to our heart monitor while viewing the film. Below are her terrifyingly accurate results.
SYNOPSIS:
After the disappearance of his troubled friend, American Chris Rivers travels to the remote Welsh countryside to investigate what happened – leading him to the discovery of a dark apocalyptic cult.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
Test Subject: Leah
Age: 42
Gender: Female
Fears: Wiccaphobia or fear of witches
Resting HR: 60-65bpm
Walking HR: 80-85bpm
ANALYSIS:
Part 1: A dark and bloody intro immediately got our subject’s blood pumping. We measured an increase from her resting 63bpm to 66bpm within the first two minutes. The opening set up an intriguing mystery concerning a study on primordial fear. Our subject was interested but her heart rate slowed as the plot unfolded.
Part 2: As the main character discovered clues leading him to various locations, our subject’s mind wandered as well. Many scenes were explained to the viewer rather than using visuals to create a suspenseful atmosphere. These long sections of dialogue failed to produce heart racing action on our monitor. However, several quick cuts of grotesque flashbacks created a couple spikes worth noting including one jump to 76bpm at 15:00.
Part 3: Several sequences during this third part had a significant effect on our subject’s well-being. More flashes of disturbing imagery kicked her heart rate into the high 70’s. The 50:00 minute mark brought on her max peak at a respectable 81bpm during a chilling encounter which led to a frightening jump scare. In viewing our FearScale, this section of the film is obviously the most heart racing. Even the conclusion builds significant anxiety and ends with a shocking slice of horror.
Part 4: Older Gods crawled into the finale attempting to wrap up its deep story. Our subject’s lack of empathy for the characters being threatened kept her heart rate from escalating but this didn’t keep our subject from craving important answers.
CONCLUSION:
Older Gods (2023) is a thought-provoking slow burn covering a ton of story in a short run-time. Share on X The haunting cinematography and atmospheric score created a mild sense of dread capable of producing moderate heart rate numbers but the true scares were few and far between. While there were some gorgeous moments, the majority of the film chose to focus on exposition rather than giving visuals to capture our attention. Yet, even with the slower moments, the film created just enough tension to keep our subject riding a wave of unease which sustained heart rate numbers above her resting average.
Older Gods (2023): Burns an average of 130 Calories
Ambrosia (Food of the Gods): 135 Calories
How many Fear Calories did you burn watching Older Gods (2023)? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
