The story of Sator follows Adam (Gabriel Nicholson), a deer hunter who lives a lonely existence in a “cabin in the woods.” We learn that occasionally his brother Pete (Michael Daniel) will pop in for a visit and that his Grandmother who lives close by, Nani (June Peterson) is a receptacle or speaker if you like, for a spirit he refers to as Sator.
Of course in typical horror fashion the more we learn, the more and more creepy shenanigans take place. Remember how I said it should be the perfect recipe? I won’t spoil anything, but I will note that nothing was special, new or intriguing enough to deserve a special mention.

The concept was outstanding and the story was riveting, but the delivery of the film was slow and I honestly wasn’t scared. I really wanted this to pop as it had everything I normally love to see. It was lacking the build of anticipation that makes films like this great – certainly a missed opportunity.

Part of the issue is that a lot of the “big bad” felt very familiar – and while I respect the budget constraints the indie creator faces – I have seen others do it to a high standard by showing LESS.

The cinematography was outstanding for a low-budget outing. The sound design felt a little cringy (think disembodied voices created by you and 3 mates after a few drinks) but otherwise was to a high standard.

I dearly love the backstory to this film, and I encourage me to check it out. Maybe even before you watch as it may intensify the “creepy-factor” for you. Horror fans, this one is definitely for you and I would really only recommend this for fans of the genre.

Overall, if you like horror, you will enjoy this movie – but you’ll need to be patient. The set-up is promising, but the execution is slow and nothing super-special. Performances, cinematography and audio track are not bad but not great either. The back story of the film had me more intrigued than the movie itself and I encourage all horror nuts to do some detective work on its origins and how the theory came to be as it is. Sator (2019) is Now Available on DVD!
6.5/10
7th August 2021
Written by Amanda Rosazza







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