The Severed Sun

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The Severed Sun

2025

1h 20m

Horror

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Popcornmeter

78%

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18 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

In the heart of an isolated religious community, The Pastor delivers his fervent sermons to a devoted congregation. But dark secrets fester. In the depths of the forest, The Pastor's daughter, Magpie, takes desperate action, ending the life of her abusive husband. Little does she know, his murder will unleash a malevolent force--a mysterious beast with shimmering white eyes. As weeks pass, suspicion and paranoia grip the community, with accusatory fingers pointed at Magpie. The Pastor struggles to restore Magpie's dwindling faith, and he is unable to bring her back into "The Truth." Faith is fragile, and Magpie is hell bent on rebelling against the hypocrisy of her father. When the Beast leaves a trail of gruesome carnage, a brutal witch hunt ignites. In this gripping tale of faith, fear, and the darkness within, friendships crumble, loyalties are tested, and the community hurtles toward self-destruction.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Sep 30, 2025

3/5

It’s possibly a bit derivative... But there are some chills and bad-dream unease as well, effectively delivered by a good cast, well directed.

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Keri O'Shea

Warped Perspective

Oct 3, 2025

The narrative gaps provide space for interpretation; the light touch itself feels very purposeful, allowing the story to develop and meander into interesting places. All told, The Severed Sun is a beautiful, raw, singular piece of cinema.

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Matt Glasby

Radio Times

Oct 2, 2025

3/5

While it is some way from perfect - the CGI is, understandably, iffy and there are a few awkward performances - it remains a striking debut.

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Emily von Seele

Daily Dead

Sep 14, 2025

4/5

Dean Puckett spins an effective tale of religion and otherworldly mystery with his feature debut. He does a lot with a limited budget, and nothing is wasted here.

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Lee Zumpe

Tampa Bay Newspapers

Aug 4, 2025

“The Severed Sun” desperately needs better narrative structure, context, and a readiness to subvert and reformat familiar horror tropes. But it is still worth checking out, especially if you relish folk horror.

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Cameron Ritter

Geek Vibes Nation

Jul 20, 2025

4.5/10

The Severed Sun is a decent folk horror film that beats its message over the head a little too forcefully without saying anything new. The exquisite technical achievements are let down by a poor story with no memorable performances.

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B P

@Bradster69 Aug 31, 2026

Not Bad, but Not My Favorite

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TheMovieSearch R

@TheMovieSearch Jul 11, 2026

The Severance Son had an interesting premise, but it never fully delivered on its potential. Mixing religious themes, witchcraft, and supernatural horror should have created a tense and unsettling experience, yet the story remains surprisingly safe and predictable. Much of the conflict centers around a pastor forced to confront terrifying events involving his own daughter, creating an emotional setup that could have been far more impactful. Instead, the screenplay plays everything too cautiously, leaving the film feeling bland rather than suspenseful. While there are a few creepy moments and the atmosphere works at times, the movie never builds enough momentum to become genuinely frightening or emotionally gripping. The performances are decent, but they aren’t given enough strong material to elevate the story. Overall, The Severance Son is a watchable horror film with an intriguing concept, but it lacks the creativity, intensity, and memorable storytelling needed to truly stand out.

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Joe F

@TwinkletoesMcGee Jun 7, 2026

Could it have been better? Yes. But not by much. At 80 minutes, this tasty little tale tells you everything you need to know. Most notably that communities don’t like it when you rock the boat. And my goodness does this young Magpie do just that.

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Kashgar A

@AllFunAndGames Mar 31, 2026

Did not live up to the hype I’m afraid. Some of the acting was questionable, motives were murky and it was frustratingly vague.

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Horror fan 4

@Horrorfan4life Jan 28, 2026

Look the idea of cult is very interesting but then you thrown in some possible witchcraft now that's a movie. In this case however it wasn't the greatest acting I've seen and the characters were not that interesting. The creature looked alright but it wasn't scary at all. Overall just an average horror movie. Tim Treakle

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Rich C

@Cordu0702 Jan 17, 2026

Very nice film! Love this style of film. Great watch!

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Dean Puckett

Director

Emma Appleton

Magpie

Toby Stephens

The Pastor

Jodhi May

Actor

Lewis Gribben

David

Barney Harris

John

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Synopsis

In the heart of an isolated religious community, The Pastor delivers his fervent sermons to a devoted congregation. But dark secrets fester. In the depths of the forest, The Pastor's daughter, Magpie, takes desperate action, ending the life of her abusive husband. Little does she know, his murder will unleash a malevolent force--a mysterious beast with shimmering white eyes. As weeks pass, suspicion and paranoia grip the community, with accusatory fingers pointed at Magpie. The Pastor struggles to restore Magpie's dwindling faith, and he is unable to bring her back into "The Truth." Faith is fragile, and Magpie is hell bent on rebelling against the hypocrisy of her father. When the Beast leaves a trail of gruesome carnage, a brutal witch hunt ignites. In this gripping tale of faith, fear, and the darkness within, friendships crumble, loyalties are tested, and the community hurtles toward self-destruction.

Director: Dean Puckett
Producer: Rebecca Wolff, Jude Goldrei
Screenwriter: Dean Puckett
Distributor: Dark Sky Films
Production Co: British Film Institute (BFI), Lunar Lander Films, Onsight, Grasp The Nettle Films, HH5, Bankside Films, Falmouth University, Creative England, iFeatures, Screen Growth Production Fund, BBC Film
Genre: Horror
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Theaters): May 16, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 16, 2025
Runtime: 1h 20m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)

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