[Fantasia 2026] FILM REVIEW: Godhead
- 12 hours ago
- 2 min read
Godhead - Fantasia World Premiere Review
Director: Mark H. Rapaport
Starring: Sarah Coffey, Kimball Farley, Al Warren, Luke Speakman, Mila Middleswarth
Written by: Mark H. Rapaport
Produced by: Kari Iverson, Julian Lawitschka, Kale Murphy, Emanuel Nunez, Jordan Rapaport, Mark H. Rapaport
Cinematography by: William Babcock
Synopsis:
Eccentric twins proclaim themselves prophets to a priest, blurring reality and delusion as they involve him in their supposed divine mission.
Thoughts:
I’m not a religious man, but I do love a good Bible story. Water into wine? Classic. There’s a storm and the J-Man is trying to have a nap? Bam! Have faith! My favourite is the one where he goes mental in a casino and starts wrecking the place. Great stuff. I also love religious based horror movie. They often portray themes of good vs evil, testing of faith and pushing characters to their limits because of their belief or morals. It almost feels like a cheat code for storytelling, but it depends on what the filmmaker does to make the concept interesting. How many 'Exorcist' knock offs have there been? And how many good ones can you think of? 'Godhead' not only tests the main characters faith, but also his reality. How far are you willing to go for your belief?
Director Mark H Rapaport welcomes us into the world of 'Godhead' straight away. We see a Priest (Al Warren) locking a young boy (Luke Speakman) in his room, before heading off to his church. It’s not long before a pair of twins enter the church, calling themselves Firstborn and Secondborn (Sarah Coffey and Kimball Farley), claiming that one of them is the embodiment of the Holy Spirit. Rapaport shoots the film in black and white, which makes it look beautiful at times (along with the fantastic cinematography by William Babcock) but also conveys the theme of the film perfectly.
While the film gives our characters complicated backstories, the main question of the film is a simply as black and white. Is this priest a good man? Yes or No? Al Warren’s performance as the priest is one of the best I’ve seen this year. Deeply flawed, yet committed to his role, the priest has to make difficult decisions that both test his faith and his morals.
Coffey and Farley are both incredible as the twins. Two very compelling characters with performances that make them unpredictable at times. Coffey’s Firstborn is wild and manipulative while Farley’s Secondborn is childlike and naive. Their backstory goes into some very dark places, along with the priests as well, that might put some people off the film but really enjoyed the levels of evil the director was willing to go. Rapaport’s script is very clever and well written, but it’s a big long in the tooth. The film sags a touch in the middle and I feel like it could have been cut down by 10-15 minutes. The film is very dialogue heavy and by the 90-minute mark, it can get a bit exhausting.
Mark H Rapaport’s 'Godhead' is one of the best films of the year, but it might not be for everyone. A fantastic script, award worthy performances all around and beautiful cinematography, 'Godhead' is a must watch.
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Adam Neeson
'Godhead' received its World Premiere at Fantasia '26 on July 18th