This Sci-Fi Cult Thriller From ‘The OA’ Creators Flew Under Everyone’s Radar

If you’ve ever wanted to join a cult without actually joining a cult, then the sci-fi thriller Sound of My Voice is the perfect choice. Directed by Zal Batmanglij and co-written by Brit Marling, who were the co-creators of The OA, this movie has the same mind-bending atmosphere, where you question absolutely everything. It has a pretty standard setup of two aspiring filmmakers trying to make a documentary on an influential cult based on a woman who supposedly comes from the future, something you and the characters can easily brush off as far-fetched and deceptive. But as the film progresses, viewers are coaxed into the cult’s warm embrace just as the characters are, not necessarily because we believe them, but because we believe in them. The film is manipulation at its finest, and a must-watch because of it.

Brit Marling Is a Magnetic Cult Leader in ‘Sound of My Voice’

Although Sound of My Voice is categorized as sci-fi, it plays out more like a psychological thriller. The only actual sci-fi element in the film is the concept of time-traveling, something that is never really proved, just spoken about, as the cult leader Maggie (Marling) makes outlandish claims of a future where food is scarce, tragedies ensue, and “Dreams” by The Cranberries is made popular again. Speaking of which, try getting that song out of your head after Marling sings a haunting, cultish rendition of it. Just like her vocals, her presence lingers in every white hallway and creeps into our minds, finding a corner to settle into as it corrodes our beliefs. Marling is as magnetic as every cult leader should be, and as the title suggests, it is the lilting, soft, but reverberating sound of her voice that hypnotizes us just as effectively as it does the cult members.

Sharing the screen with Marling are Christopher Denham as Peter and Nicole Vicius as Lorna, two filmmakers determined to escape their mundane jobs by filming an exposé on this time-traveling farce. To do so, they must win the trust of the cult and ingratiate themselves. They are the perfect stand-ins for the audience, approaching the bizarre situation with a healthy amount of skepticism and curiosity, even as their attempts at secretly filming the meetings are thwarted by the technological limitations of the 2010s. As the film progresses, their beliefs are constantly challenged by scenes that oscillate between disquieting and devastating, forcing us on our toes.

If you must only watch one scene of this film to convince yourself to indulge in the rest, then let it be the one around the 25-minute mark. Marling and Denham share the screen in a berserk and powerful sequence, where Marling’s warm and hypnotic performance switches into something more cruel and malignant. Peter’s skepticism almost shatters in front of our very eyes, as Maggie brutally questions his past, mercilessly tugging on threads the average person wouldn’t dare to. Mix in some emetophobia, and it’s a scene that should be in a horror film. But the power of the scene is that Maggie’s evil, out-of-character moment is just as enchanting as her softer persona.

‘Sound of My Voice’ Represents Cults Like Never Before

Marling may be the haunting center of Sound of My Voice, but its real power stems from its ability to make the viewer feel like they are losing their minds. There are plenty of twists and turns that render the plot a thriller, but the storytelling remains cerebral, where the stakes are in our ability to hold onto reality, and the climax is another shattering shift in our belief system. Its approach to investigating cults isn’t drenched in pessimism or otherworldiness, but a naturalistic simplicity and faith that is tempting. Even as the film treads into stranger territory, it is grounded by ideals like letting fear go and self-sufficiency that are difficult to condemn. We know it’s a cult and that they are generally predatory, but the insidious thought of “maybe this one isn’t so bad” lurks in the corners of your mind. It’s thought-provoking to experience, and addictive to watch.

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People are often curious about how someone can succumb to the seemingly outrageous beliefs of a cult, and this film will demonstrate exactly how. Turns out, skepticism is simply the first step to indoctrination, as Sound of My Voice lulls us deeper into its heady embrace. With Marling at the helm, it is impossible not to surrender to this film and let her voice soothe you into a trance.