28. COUNTDOWN TO OBLIVION: Watch a race-against-timer. Oh, the tension…
The Rapture
As a student of erotic thrillers, I hold camp classics like Poison Ivy, Eyes of Laura Mars, Crash, Heavenly Creatures, Flowers in the Attic, and any film by Brian De Palma in high regard. I assumed that The Rapture would fall in line with my love of melodramatic stylized trash, but I was wrong. The film begins as a steamy erotic thriller before quickly pivoting to a survival film, then finally to a Biblical epic.
Despite the film following Sharon (played by Mimi Rogers), a young Los Angeles woman who enjoys a scandalous swinging lifestyle, the most shocking thing that happens in the first thirty minutes is that David Duchovny drops trou. It’s the second half—filled with cult members, melodramatic child actors, brutal violence, and religious imagery that makes this film unique. Much like the buzzy box office hit The Substance, this film goes far beyond where you think it will and, frankly, where it probably should.
At the risk of spoiling this deliciously unpredictable plot, I’ll keep it brief. Sharon kisses her swinging lifestyle goodbye and converts to born-again Christianity after becoming convinced that the rapture is coming. After settling into the godly life of monogamy and starting a family, tragic events and mysterious dreams lure her out to the desert to wait for the impending rapture. Sharon and her young daughter Mary survive in the desert with the help of a local police officer who brings them candy bars. That is, until Sharon becomes hasty to ascend to heaven, deciding to kill her daughter and then herself to speed up the process. Let’s just say this doesn’t pan out the way she hopes.
Don’t get me wrong, this movie is not what I’d call a “smart” movie. However, director Michael Tolkin takes refreshing risks by questioning the line between Christianity and delusion.
The Stranger is participating in Scarecrow Video’s Psychotronic Challenge all month long! Every October, Scarecrow puts together a list of cinematic themes and invites folks to follow along and watch a horror, sci-fi, or fantasy flick that meets the criteria. This year, Stranger staffers are joining the fun and we’re sharing our daily recommendations here on Slog! Read more about Scarecrow’s 2024 challenge—and get the watch list—here. And you can track our daily recommendations here! 💀
I saw this movie at the Uptown Theatre back in 1991. My friend and I wanted to see Cape Fear with Robert de Niro, but it was sold out, so we opted for The Rapture instead (even though we knew nothing about it). And I can confidently say I have thought about this movie at least once a week for 33 years…I HATED it so much at first because the choices that Mimi Rogers makes drove me absolutely bonkers (I have revised my opinion on follow-up viewings), but if art is supposed to make you feel something, well, then mission accomplished.