STAY
2017 · 9m · United States
Directed by David Mikalson
Genres: dark comedy, fantasy, horror
Tones: dark, darkly comic, theatrical
A satanic cult of women attempts a Faustian bargain with a demon, but rogue member Carol interferes with the ceremony.
Picked by Felix
The scouts
A satanic cult film that pivots on a woman sabotaging her own coven's Faustian bargain—the premise alone is delicious genre subversion, and Mikalson leans into the darkly comic chaos rather than playing it straight, which is exactly where horror goes to get interesting.
The theatrical staging and tonal control show a director aware of horror's lineage while playing with its conventions; the formal architecture of the ritual sequence and the precision of the comedic timing suggest a careful hand working within an established tradition.
What elevates this beyond premise is the casting and Carol's performance—that specific choice to make the saboteur feel like she belongs in the coven rather than standing outside it fundamentally changes the film from a joke into something with actual stakes.
Reviews
Wow, it is impressive just morbid Mikalson is willing to get. This is guaranteed to be a divisive film, but real horror fans will find it funny as you-know-where.