Following the misadventures of Chip (Stavros Halkias) ‘Let’s Start a Cult’ captures the dissolution of one cult and the beginning of another. Being part of both groups, Chip seeks validation as the initial group ‘transcends’ without him and the man feels lost without such a tight knit community.
Opening on the communal life of the cult, the film finds Chip carrying out menial tasks, as group leader William Davenport, more commonly referred to as Bill, (Wes Haney) has relegated him to do chores in order to allow other group members to focus on their mantra.
Making an immediate impression, Halkias soars as Chip, delivering the impetus of egotism through the character. Acting by and large as a self-centered and belligerent individual, Halkias channels the spirit of a whiny, lazy and oblivious teenager, acting on impulse with zero regard for those around him.
In preparation for ‘transcending’ Bill sends Chip on an errand and carries out the ritual without him. Discovering the corpses on his return, Chip discards his cult paraphernalia and decides to return home. Months later, Chip learns that Bill is still alive. Having tracked him down, Chip convinces him to re-start ‘the family’, as co-leaders.
One by one, the film balloons it’s cast to include Eric Rahill as Tyler, Katy Fullan as Diane and Daniel Simonsen as Jim, all new members of the cult. Things quickly take a turn when Bill realizes he needs to get Chip back into his place as an errand boy, rather than a co-leader of the group. Saddened by the fact that he is being relegated yet again, Halkias exhibits signs of growth through Chip as the begins to understand Bill’s ambitions and how he is not a part of that plan.
The film works wonderfully in showing how things quickly get out of control when the group grows in size. Humorous, as Bill is unable to control Chip, with him adding members to the family without Bill’s approval, things snowball and Bill understands he is no longer in control.
Charismatic though he may be, Bill understands he will not be able to control the family. Abandoning them, he turns in the group by going to the authorities, alleging Chip has always been the leader of the group, and blaming him for the group suicide before.
Hilariously ridiculous, ‘Let’s Start a Cult’ highlights the absurd nature of cults and exploits the premise for all its worth in order to show what the wrong kind of cultist can achieve and how utterly absurd the situation may become.
By following Chip, the film’s writer and director Ben Kitnick presents an absurd look into the chaotic nature of cults, and how a group can quickly fall into disarray when the authority of the cult leader is challenged and questioned.
A surprisingly heartfelt conclusion sees the new ‘cult’ come together to form a makeshift family of individuals looking for acceptance and no judgment, transforming Chip into a motivational speaker that preaches the creed of the ‘family’. Albeit a surprising end, but not an unwelcome one, as each of the members of the new family find joy with each other and have skewed far from what Bill’s original group had been about.
A hilarious and vulgar tale of the abuse of charisma and influence over other people, ‘Let’s Start a Cult’ finds every crevice of the lifestyle of cultists and exploits it to its hearts content, delivering a hilarious yet poignant message about fitting in and being kind to one another.
Score: 3/4
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