Inside a quaint convent, young Sister Agnes explodes with an outburst of rage and blasphemy, causing the church to send veteran priest Father Donaghue and a younger priest-on-the-rise, Benjamin, to investigate the incident as a potential demonic possession. The heads of the church have an ulterior motive behind assigning this specific case to Father Donaghue, who’s been recently disgraced; Benjamin, meanwhile, feels suspicious of the whole endeavor. While at the convent, the young priest takes a shine to the reserved Sister Mary, Agnes’ closest friend who’s taken the evil spell especially hard. As the two clergymen get deeper into the situation, all involved have their respective faiths tested, namely Mary. 

Dubbed the “Soderbergh of the Sticks” by his ever-growing fanbase of indie cult cinema aficionados, Oklahoma native Mickey Reece has been making idiosyncratic DIY genre films for over a decade. With the bold and offbeat Agnes, the prolific writer-director, ever the iconoclast, flips the possession film on its spinning, vile-spewing head, delivering not only the best new entry into the exorcism horror canon in years, but also the most daring. After thriving in the underground for so long, Reece is overdue for a breakout. Thanks to Agnes, it’s officially time. —Matt Barone

Mickey Reece