Generational Trauma Becomes the True Horror

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MOVIE REVIEW
Self-Help
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Genre: Horror, Thriller, Drama
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 25m
Director(s): Erik Bloomquist
Writer(s): Erik Bloomquist, Carson Bloomquist
Cast: Landry Bender, Jake Weber, Madison Lintz, Amy Hargreaves, Erik Bloomquist, Carol Cadby, Blaque Fowler, Adam Weppler
Where to Watch: shown at the 2025 FrightFest Film Festival

RAVING REVIEW: SELF-HELP opens with a setup that feels all too believable in the modern age: a daughter watches her mother slip under the influence of a mysterious figure, and in desperation, she infiltrates the very group that threatens to consume her family. From there, director Erik Bloomquist and co-writer Carson Bloomquist craft a story that is part cult horror, part family drama, and part commentary on the manipulation of trust. It is a film rooted in modern anxieties, dressed in familiarity, but clever enough to find fresh angles.

The story follows Olivia, played by Landry Bender (who delivers another incredible performance), as she steps into the world of a self-actualization community that promises empowerment but thrives on obedience. The group is led by Curtis Clark, played by Jake Weber, who brings a blend of warmth and menace that makes his authority chillingly believable. He doesn’t need to shout or resort to theatrics; instead, he uses calm, controlled language, twisting the very vocabulary of therapy and self-improvement into tools of domination. Weber’s dynamic with Bender provides a constant push and pull between vulnerability and resistance.

Bender proves to be the heart of the film, grounding the story in emotion. As Olivia, she moves from cautious outsider to reluctant “participant,” always carrying the weight of her fractured relationship with her mother. That family core keeps the film from drifting into abstraction. Madison Lintz as Sophie and Amy Hargreaves as Rebecca round out the ensemble with performances that emphasize how easily people slip into dependency when someone offers answers to life’s hardest questions. This isn’t just a story about a cult; it’s about the gaps that make people susceptible to one.

The Bloomquists lace the narrative with moments of tension that often arrive sideways. Instead of predictability, the film leans on unease—conversations that go just a little too far, rituals that feel more threatening the longer they continue, and the dissonance of watching something meant to heal turn into something dangerous. The horror is less about the supernatural and more about psychology, which makes the story resonate. Audiences familiar with the way wellness culture has been commodified will recognize how easily positive language becomes a mask for exploitation.

SELF-HELP is a stripped-down but effective production. The cinematography favors close quarters and careful framing, placing characters in spaces that feel simultaneously safe and suffocating. When there are gatherings, there is both unity and menace, as if the very act of belonging has a cost. Bloomquist has a knack for evoking atmosphere with minimal means—an approach that fits the story’s small budget but makes its limitations feel purposeful.

Where the film truly succeeds is in its unpredictability. Just when the viewer thinks they know where things are going, a pivot occurs, pulling in reveals and confrontations that undercut expectations. It avoids the trap of being a simple morality play about cults. That makes it more unsettling than many horror films with higher body counts.

While the performances are strong, the limited screen time of some moments undercuts the complexity of those bonds, leaving moments that feel slightly rushed in contrast to the slow burn of the cult sequences. Yet these shortcomings do not diminish the film’s effectiveness. They are reminders that SELF-HELP is working on a small canvas, one that favors intensity over scope.

Bloomquist demonstrates growing confidence in balancing horror with subtext. His earlier work flirted with themes of manipulation and identity, but here he sharpens them, creating something both topical and eerie. By grounding the horror in emotional truth, he ensures that the film packs a greater impact than many of its peers.

Premiering at FrightFest 2025, SELF-HELP feels perfectly timed. Its blend of cult topics, family drama, and psychological horror makes it a natural fit for the festival circuit. In contrast, its character-driven focus makes it an easy recommendation for audiences seeking something both creepy and thoughtful. It’s the kind of film likely to build word-of-mouth among horror fans who want more than empty shocks.

SELF-HELP demonstrates that the scariest monsters are not creatures in the dark but those who speak in soothing tones, offering guidance that conceals control. It is unsettling, clever, and carried by a cast that makes every twist feel earned. The film doesn’t just entertain—it leaves viewers questioning how much of themselves they might hand over to someone who promises answers.

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[photo courtesy of MAINFRAME PICTURES, WTFILMS]

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