Tapping into religious cult themes for his debut, director/writer Doug Rao creates a film that at firsthand sells itself as a masonic period piece, only for it to slowly morph into sci-fi horror quandary.

An English-speaking fully-fledged cult thrives in a remote mansion backgrounded by a stunning Alpine setting (presumably somewhere in Austria, the precise location is nevre disclosed. The cast is costumed in modest attire from roughly 100 years ago. Despite giving off a vibe of the real-life von Trapp family – the young women of the cult even break out into pitch-perfect capella, much a la Sound of Music (Robert Wise, 1965) – what plays out is an intellectual if empty take on the machinations of small-time cult leaders and the control exercised over their vulnerable followers.

Centred around a young man Isaac (Stan Steinbichler), one of a handful of young rescuees who have been harvested and groomed under the scrutinous eye of Walter and Verity Wentworth. The pair offer a lacklustre impression of cult leaders.. Verity is the more tyrannical and malevolent one. Her burly husband appears to have a lot of fun, making his way through all the young women in his coven, impregnating them by one.

Isaac suffers from schizophrenia and is supposedly medicated – his pills are an anachronistic signifier. Throughout we are privy to the whirlwind of disparaging voices swirling inside his head. The house sees him as a liability, often reprimanded for his outbursts, usually locked away in his room. But when he becomes witness to a sacrificial killing of a woman at a ceremonial gathering – the scene takes its cues from Kubrick’s Eye Wide Shut (1999) but without any of the erotic flair – the sinister underpinnings of the operation begin to surface. Shortly afterwards, his own life is in jeopardy. He is then framed for the murder, and has to flee.

Doug Rao’s debut is a mercurial film, loosely tethered to several genres, an ever-evolving plot and an unreliable protagonist. The problem is that at times the film direction feel rudderless, leaving the viewers unable to connect. Steinbichler’s efforts in conveying Isaac’s multiple facets of psychosis are stellar. However, viewers often remain unable to warm up to the character. The dialogue takes a ludicrous turn, when Isaac’s mental health becomes the butt of a string of dad jokes. A lack of clarity around the inner workings of the cult partly removes the sense of mystery from the story. An absurd, blood-splattered ending might evoke some laughter, but only if you are are still fully invested by that point.

Dirty Boy just saw its world premiere during the 33rd edition of Raindance, which takes place between June 18th and 27th.