‘The Cycle’ movie review: a chilling investigative thriller with a sharp horror turn
*The Cycle* begins as a grounded serial killer investigation before turning into graphic, supernatural horror. The shift is unsettling and mostly effective, giving the thriller a distinctive shape, though the review finds its first hour stronger than its bloodier second half.
Deborah Ann Woll stars as forensic anthropologist Meg Garland, who is asked to help investigate mangled bodies, including one that has not decomposed normally. She discovers it is her estranged father’s, drawing her into a case led by officer Ian and his father Marks. The film is praised for its performances, detective-work details and atmosphere, with visual echoes of *Seven*, but its later carnage is judged overlong.
- A forensic anthropologist investigates her father’s unexplained death.
- The crime thriller takes a sharp turn into supernatural horror.
- Strong performances and atmosphere cannot quite overcome an overlong finale.
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The Cycle is a horror film built around a police investigation into a series of disturbing deaths. Deborah Ann Woll plays Meg Garland, a forensic anthropologist who studies the bodies to help identify what happened.
Meg recognises one victim as her estranged father and becomes personally entangled in the case. Officers Ian and Marks, who are father and son, lead the investigation as clues point beyond an ordinary crime. The film’s shift from detective story to supernatural horror shapes its central tension.