By Jon Donnis
Black Mandala is preparing to unleash The Behemoth, a bleak and unsettling cult horror from director Kai Edmund Bogatzki that leans heavily into atmosphere, dread and cosmic unease. Set in the frozen isolation of a remote mountain ski resort, the film uses snowbound silence and brutal landscapes to frame a story where faith curdles into fanaticism and ancient beliefs refuse to stay buried.
At its centre are Rebecca and Ryan, who escape to a secluded cabin hoping for rest and reconnection. Their refuge appears safe enough at first, thanks to Christine, a warm and reassuring host who seems eager to help them settle in. That calm quickly fractures as disturbing incidents begin to surface, all linked to a long dormant cult known as the Servants of Blood. What starts as a quiet retreat slowly becomes something far more dangerous and deeply personal.
Christine’s own attempt to flee a toxic relationship takes a horrifying turn when she is abducted and prepared for an apocalyptic ritual. As Rebecca searches for answers, she uncovers a far more troubling truth. She and Ryan are not accidental bystanders but vital components in the cult’s carefully planned design. The realisation shifts the story from survival horror into something more existential, where choice, belief and responsibility blur in frightening ways.
The film’s descent into full cosmic horror arrives with the birth of Behemoth itself, an ancient demon brought forth through blood and devotion. Once unleashed, the creature turns savagely on those who summoned it, tearing through followers with brutal indifference. Rebecca is left with an impossible task. To live, she must confront her own inner darkness, betray the belief system that trapped her, and face the monstrous force she helped bring into being.
The Behemoth promises an uncompromising experience rooted in Lovecraftian mythology, where blind faith leads only to ruin and salvation comes at a devastating cost. Its impact has already been felt on the festival circuit, earning Best International honours at the Nashville Horror Film Festival, Best International Feature at Dark Matters Film Festival, multiple awards at Haunted House FearFest including Best Horror Feature and the Grim Reaper Award, and recognition for Best Mutilation Scene at Fright Nights.
With a cast that includes Sarah Dawes, Ryan Wichert, Beatrice Fletcher and Johnny Vivash, and direction from Kai E. Bogatzki, The Behemoth positions itself as a stark, ferocious exploration of devotion, desperation and the horrors that emerge when humanity searches too hard for meaning in the dark.
Coming Soon.
