Rebirth tosses out a few red herrings in its opening moments: a reunion between college buddies (Adam Goldberg and Fran Kranz), a weekend getaway for spiritual rejuvenation, a playful treasure hunt leading the way to the retreat. But from the moment our protagonist Kyle gets on that bus all bets are off as he embarks on a terrifying tour through a haunted house filled with brainwashed birthers. Playfully toeing the line between psychological horror and biting satire on everything from new age health trends to male bonding culture, TFF alum Karl Mueller's (Mr. Jones) 2nd feature is a wild rollercoaster of a genre mashup. The eponymous retreat comes stamped with a “no-spoiler rule” (among other edicts including a chant of “we are not a cult” and “you can leave at any time”) and viewers would be well-served to follow the same rules.

—Genna Terranova

Directed by

Karl Mueller