"Sacred Creatures," Canadian filmmaker Frieda Luk's debut feature, premiered in the main competition at the Edinburgh Film Festival, telling the story of a fragile young woman who is elevated to cult-leader status after a family gathering in rural Italy goes awry. Variety's review is largely mixed, praising Luk's unusual, offbeat directorial voice and a striking central costume, but finding the film unable to settle on a consistent tone as it shifts between social satire, family drama and mythic fable.

The story follows Miriam, played by Olivia Luccardi, who recently left a mental health facility after an episode her family calls a breakdown but which she considers spiritual, and who is subsequently mistaken for a spiritual guru by her brother's aunt and a circle of local admirers in northern Italy. The reviewer credits Luccardi's performance and the film's dry satire on how easily one can become an "influencer," but says the narrative loses credibility once Miriam's following escalates into full-blown cult status, with the sibling drama fading into the background. Given its Euro-American cast (including Antonio De Matteo and James Cusati-Moyer) and curiosity factor, the review suggests the microbudget film could secure limited international distribution.