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IMDbPro

The Cleansing

  • 2019
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
4.4/10
433
YOUR RATING
Rebecca Acock in The Cleansing (2019)
DramaHorrorThriller

A young girl in medieval Britain must watch her mother undergo torture and murder for practicing witchcraft by The Cleanser.A young girl in medieval Britain must watch her mother undergo torture and murder for practicing witchcraft by The Cleanser.A young girl in medieval Britain must watch her mother undergo torture and murder for practicing witchcraft by The Cleanser.

  • Director
    • Antony Smith
  • Writer
    • David Shillitoe
  • Stars
    • Luke Bailey
    • Seán Carlsen
    • Simon Nehan
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    4.4/10
    433
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Antony Smith
    • Writer
      • David Shillitoe
    • Stars
      • Luke Bailey
      • Seán Carlsen
      • Simon Nehan
    • 19User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer [OV]
    Trailer 2:14
    Trailer [OV]

    Photos1

    View Poster

    Top cast12

    Edit
    Luke Bailey
    • The Wanderer
    Seán Carlsen
    Seán Carlsen
    • Walter
    Simon Nehan
    • The Cleanser
    Rhys Meredith
    Rhys Meredith
    • Tom
    Simon Pengelly
    Simon Pengelly
    • James
    Rebecca Acock
    • Alice
    Sarah-Louise Tyler
    • Matilda
    Abbie Hirst
    • Mary
    Richard Tunley
    • Huw
    Christopher Vowles
    • Geoffrey
    Richard Burman
    • Matthew
    Timmy Hodgson
    Timmy Hodgson
    • Fire Demon
    • (archive footage)
    • Director
      • Antony Smith
    • Writer
      • David Shillitoe
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews19

    4.4433
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    10

    Featured reviews

    4zhyarTheChosen

    More like a joke

    What was the purported of this movie it is just a description of nothing
    1pugwash-59874

    Cleansing

    Absolutely diabolical .waste of money.didn't go into enough details about characters in the movie
    1akratosmc

    waste of time

    The movie is a waste of time, boring, absolutely no sense plot, not even a horror film.
    9wolfen244

    Exceptionally Fun Ride

    I loved this little low-budget gem and you will too once you get involved with it. It's a bit slow for some folks. The heroine is not real verbose however her face tells more than a bunch of dialog and let's face it, her face is quite alluring. Where was I? On to the movie review. There's a lot of tension because of Tom the reverend not wanting to give up the chase so it's always in the back of your mind about what might happen at any given time. The fellow from Africa gives this a bit of a spin on things even though at first it seems as if Hollywood is trying to inject its usual liberal garbage as you wonder if the next shoe to drop will be Climate Change, but nope, there's a reason. The strange part is the Cleanser himself as you will have to make up your mind whether or not it strains the ending a bit or if it's really worth it. I really liked the ending even it was a bit predictable with all of the gore. Regardless, just grab some popcorn, fasten your seat belt and get set to have a little fun.
    6paul_m_haakonsen

    Not a movie for the mainstream, mindless audience...

    I had not heard about the 2019 movie titled "The Cleansing" prior to getting a chance in 2020 to sit down and watch it. I didn't know what the movie was about, all I knew was that it was sort of a horror movie.

    And that was actually all that was needed to have me sit down and watch it. However, I must say that the movie was fairly weak in aspect of being a horror movie, but it fared much better on being a historical drama with a hint of susperstition and thriller to it.

    Now, you might actually debate whether or not writer David Shillitoe was on to something profound with his storyline and script. I assume that it is something that will not appeal broadly to everyone in the audience, given the movie's sort of low rating. However, I found the storyline to be interesting, especially since it had roots in something that felt like something that might very well actually have happened if you take a look at mankinds history.

    I must say that the atmosphere in the movie was phenomenal. I really liked what director Antony Smith did here with the assistance of the cinematographer and the film crew. The whole movie had a very realistic and foreboding atmosphere to it, that sort of crept under the skin and sticks with you for a while.

    The movie's pacing might be considered slow to some, and yeah I will admit to it too. There were aspects and parts of the movie that were just too monotonous and too slowed down, weighing the movie unnecessarily down.

    As for the acting in "The Cleansing", well it was a movie with a relatively small cast ensemble, so the performers had to be more on constantly and had to carry the movie significantly more with their individual performances. Now, I am not familiar with the previous work of actress Rebecca Acock (playing Alice), but she really had a nice on-screen charisma and carried the lead role quite well.

    If you have any interest in witchcraft, superstition and historical aspects of what happened in the older times, then "The Cleansing" is definitely well worth a watch. I enjoyed the movie, and I am rating it a six out of ten stars.

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    Related interests

    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • November 15, 2019 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • A Purificação
    • Filming locations
      • South Wales, UK(on location)
    • Production company
      • Forkbeard Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 37m(97 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39:1

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