After a premier at SxSW this year, The Descendent was picked up by RLJE films for national release. It was produced by Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson-the duo that made the indie gem “The Endless” 2017 which tied into their other films  “Resolution” 2013 and “Synchronic” 2019. Moorhead and Benson have shown they can make compelling psychological indie horror films with a little budget. This time they are only producers to a film that feels very much akin to their aesthetic. This is the directional feature debut of  Peter Cilella- the star of their film “Resolution”. He is also the writer of this. It wouldn’t surprise me if some of the crew were from previous work by the Moorhead and Benson duo working with Cilella on this also. And the result is one of the most fulfilling and enriching independent films of 2025.

To begin, we’re immediately shown that Sean and Andrea are doing well  being freshly married and soon to have a child. The status quo is in the uneasiness of expecting. The mixture of joyful anticipation to the worry of complications of a pregnancy. Each cares and is determined to make it work. Sean’s mere distraction is only by the opportunity for a promotion to improve their family footing and Andrea is taking precautions.  The married couple are played marvelously by Ross Marquand and Sarah Bolger.  Both have some credits in other larger films being peppered in, but this should signify to the masses both are overwhelmingly qualified to lead and star in future projects. All seems well until of course, until Sean falls from the roof of the garage to repair a light fixture fastened to it. It leaves Sean with memory loss, a concussion, and the incredible sense that he could have been just a simple slip, or a lightning strike (there was one occurring) or was it possibly an alien abduction? None of the possibilities  are ever ruled out. And since that is the case Sean slowly slips in a delusional psychotic state. Are the scenes of him while being abducted just a hallucination to the accident? Is it all just a dream? Is everyone in on it?  

Cilella is great at writing authtenic dialogue. It emits an X-Files aura through out, The film wonderfully presents the derangement with jagged jumps  and surreal slips of dream-like events. The slow descent of cruel madness is shown quite well. Even though many people around Sean  give out many warnings and cautions. The film really works showing  worrisome and anxiety that follows a married couple going through a pregnancy and the casualty of  not trusting your own mind. It’s also dreadful not being able  to trust to tell someone what you believed has happened to you, even supernatural. Many film reviews will state that there are similarities to “Rosemary’s Baby” but it’s more akin to 1990’s “Jacob Ladder” . Elevating the possibility that the psychotic break that is occurring within you is by outside forces.

There is no clever angle or amazing shot. The straight forward approach actually enhances the disturbance by showing in a stable, natural setting.  The film’s crux that drawing and creating art does provide nourishing outlet to heal and improve one’s self won’t go past any viewer.  The Descendent is effective because it’s palpable,  and it’s genuine in its approach.  Moorhead and Benson are not interested in providing closures or closing any variable to the reasons why events occur in the stories they develop. “The Descendent” shows no matter what has occurred to start your path to insanity there no concrete answers, or solutions to get you back to you were before 7.5/10