Bryan Loves You
A found-footage horror film about a cult in Arizona.
Bryan Loves You is a 2008 horror film directed by Seth Landau. It presents itself as the true account of the Cult of the Bryans, which allegedly seized control of a small Arizona town in 1993. The movie was filmed over 17 days on a budget of $25,000, and Anchor Bay Entertainment released it on DVD on September 23, 2008.
The story follows a 32-year-old psychotherapist who grows suspicious that a local religious cult is murdering townspeople. He becomes entangled in a series of strange events centered on the "Bryans" cult. The film adopts a found-footage style, claiming to be compiled from security camera recordings.
The cast includes Seth Landau as Jonathan, George Wendt as Mr. Flynn, Tiffany Shepis as Cindy, Daniel Roebuck as Professor Spine, Tony Todd as The Narrator, Bobby Slayton as The Interviewer, Brinke Stevens as Nurse, Jilon VanOver as Brody, and Lloyd Kaufman as Jonathan's Helper.
Critical response was mixed to negative. Dread Central criticized the film's lack of realism, noting that found footage should not make viewers ask, "Why is everyone acting so overly evil?" About.com's Mark Harris gave a negative review, saying the film consists of "drawn-out moments of inconsequential activity loosely tied together by a scenario that never delivers." However, JoBlo.com praised it, awarding three-and-a-half "Arrows in the Head" and stating that despite similarities to earlier horror works like *A Clockwork Orange*, the movie "still feels fresh and inventive." MovieWeb called it "a masterfully creepy ride through religious fundamentalism gone horribly awry."
Quick Facts
- Director
- Seth Landau
- Starring
- Seth Landau / George Wendt / Tiffany Shepis / Daniel Roebuck / Tony Todd
- Music
- P. Daniel Newman
- Cinematography
- Jayson Crothers
- Editing
- Greg Robbins
- Distributor
- Anchor Bay
- Released
- 23 September 2008
- Runtime
- 92 minutes
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Budget
- $25,000
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The plot revolves around a 32-year-old psychotherapist as he begins to suspect that the local religious cult has been murdering the town's citizens. He soon becomes sucked into a web of mysterious happenings, with the cult of the 'Bryans' being the focal point. The film uses the 'found footage' format, and claims that the film is a compilation of security footage.
The cast includes Seth Landau as Jonathan, George Wendt as Mr. Flynn, Tiffany Shepis as Cindy, Daniel Roebuck as Professor Spine, Tony Todd as The Narrator, Bobby Slayton as The Interviewer, Brinke Stevens as Nurse, Jilon VanOver as Brody, and Lloyd Kaufman as Jonathan's Helper.
Critical reception for the film has been mixed to negative. Dread Central criticized the film's lack of realism, About.com's Mark Harris negatively reviewed it, while JoBlo.com gave it a positive review, and MovieWeb called it 'a masterfully creepy ride through religious fundamentalism gone horribly awry.'
Reader's Guide
Bryan Loves You is notable as a low-budget independent horror film that employs the found-footage format to tell a story about a religious cult. Its significance lies in its attempt to blend documentary-style realism with supernatural horror, though critical reception was mixed. The film's legacy is modest, remembered primarily by horror enthusiasts for its cast of genre veterans and its rapid 17-day production. It serves as an example of early 2000s micro-budget filmmaking and the found-footage trend that followed The Blair Witch Project. The film's claim of being based on a true story adds to its cult appeal, though its lack of realism was noted by some reviewers.
Did You Know?
- The film was shot in 17 days with a budget of $25,000.
- It was released on DVD on September 23, 2008 by Anchor Bay Entertainment.
- The film uses the 'found footage' format and claims to be a compilation of security footage.
- The cast includes Tony Todd as The Narrator and Lloyd Kaufman as Jonathan's Helper.
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