So Fades the Light – Movie Review (3/5)

SO FADES THE LIGHT is a new cult thriller that has a slow-burn style but delivers on content. Think Nomadland with a sinister twist. It’s efficient storytelling from a small cast. Even the runtime is short. Read our full So Fades the Light movie review here!

SO FADES THE LIGHT is a thriller with a cult story. I have never watched a cult thriller where a plot played out like this before. Maybe that’s why it was so efficient. It’s extremely character-driven and evolves slowly, but never feels too slow.

YOU MIGHT LIKE

To check out our “Cults”-tag covering all things with cults >

It reminded me of Nomadland, but with a plot that you know is sinister from the opening scene. Also, it reminded me of a few true crime documentaries about various cults, which gave it a very realistic approach. The runtime is just around 80 minutes.

Continue reading our So Fades the Light movie review below. Find it on VOD from June 24, 2025.

Welcome to a Cult of Weapons

We meet Sun, who was worshipped as a “God Child” when she was a girl. She was in a cult called The Iron and Fire Ministry. Not that she had any choice in this, but she did become a key component in their teachings.

It was a cult of very violent religious Extremists. The logo for “The Iron and Fire Ministry”  features weapons, so it was very much about protecting their way of life. The happenings in the cult included exactly the same that we’ve seen in numerous cult documentaries.

When So Fades the Light begins, we very quickly get to a life-changing event: The police storm the compound of the cult. A lot of shots are fired by men, women, and children, so most die.

Not Sun, though. And not the cult leader.

The latter ends up in prison while we meet the former again 15 years later.

Impressive Cult PTSD Horror

While I’ve called So Fades the Light a “cult thriller”, it could also very easily be labeled a cult horror movie. More specifically, this is a cult PTSD horror story.

When we meet Sun again, fifteen years later, she’s living her life like a drifter. Constantly moving, living in her van, and with few people she can trust. Knowing she needs to confront her past to move on, she decides to go back to the compound of the cult.

It’s been abandoned since the police raided it, but before she gets that far, we get an idea of just how deeply the cult-life has traumatized and scarred her.

Unfortunately, it turns out that the leader of the cult was released from prison just when Sun had decided to return. He also returns to the compound, and the two are bound to end up in a confrontation. Can Sun handle this as an adult?

Kiley Lotz is amazing as Sun, which is what makes the entire story come together. Okay, to be fair, D. Duke Solomon as “The Reverend” also deserves a lot of credit. Between these two, the story comes together.

Watch So Fades the Light on Demand & VOD

So Fades the Light is a film by the director duo “Get Super Rad”. Behind this cool name, we have Rob Cousineau & Chris Rosik. The screenplay also comes from Rob Cousineau.

I wasn’t too familiar with Get Super Rad, and you probably aren’t either, so I’ve included a little on this creative collective of filmmakers.

“Get Super Rad is a creative collective whose goal is to tell brand and narrative stories without ever falling into the trap of having a locked and defined style.

Their goal is to make content that feels unique and special to the project they create it for. Mostly, they want the work to look and represent the fun they had while generating it.

Get Super Rad was founded in 2013. It has since made two feature films (Future, The Russian Five) with a third film in post-production (Can’t See Sh*t). They have created content for television, broadcast, and web.“

Overall, So Fades the Light can also pride itself (pun intended, especially as this is released during Pride Month) on having been made by a majority LGBTQ cast and production crew.

If you’re intrigued by cult stories and enjoy a realistic and very human approach to storytelling, do not miss out on this one. No, it’s not an action flick about revenge, but rather a story of coming to terms with your own trauma.

In Sun’s case, while the trauma is also out there looking for you!

So Fades the Light is on VOD & On Demand on June 24, 2025.

Details

Directors: Rob Cousineau & Chris Rosik (Get Super Rad)
Writer: Rob Cousineau
Stars: Kiley Lotz, Ny’Ea Reynolds, D. Duke Solomon, William Swift, D. Lou, Anika Pyle