My quick rating – 6.7/10. Going into this #Shocktober flick, all I knew was that I spotted Jeffrey Donovan from Burn Notice on The Cycle poster. About three seconds in, I also discovered that Shudder was involved. So, naturally, I prepared myself for some unpleasant business. And by unpleasant, I mean the sort of autopsy footage that makes you reconsider your lunch choices.
We begin with Dr. Megan Garland (Deborah Ann Woll) examining photographs of a decomposed body before traveling back to February 2025, where police chief Ian Marks (Donovan) is investigating a particularly nasty crime scene. Megan, a forensic anthropologist at the Crichton Institute of Science, soon learns that her missing father, Peter Stump, has been found dead near a house where a woman and her young daughter were murdered. She initially wants nothing to do with the investigation, which is understandable when your family reunions apparently involve body bags.
However, the mystery surrounding her father’s death proves too intriguing to ignore. His remains show evidence of prolonged physical trauma but surprisingly little decomposition, suggesting he spent months sealed away somewhere before being dumped. Meanwhile, the other victims have injuries resembling animal attacks, and further incidents involving the investigating officers make it difficult to dismiss everything as the work of some overly aggressive wildlife.
As Megan digs deeper, connections emerge between her father’s disappearance in 1991 and a horrific attack on Lou Bishop (Carl W. Crudup) that happened on the same date. An emergency phone recording adds another unsettling piece to the puzzle, while conflicting forensic evidence makes an ordinary explanation seem highly unlikely. I’ll leave it there because this is one of those films best enjoyed without having half the mystery explained to you beforehand.
Director Jordan Downey and cinematographer Kevin Stewart make excellent use of Astoria, Oregon, USA, keeping everything dark, foggy, and thoroughly miserable. Whether that’s the weather or the local residents’ reaction to the murder rate is anyone’s guess. Either way, the atmosphere is terrific, with some genuinely creepy shots that make the surroundings feel as threatening as anything lurking in the shadows.
The real star, though, is the practical effects by Patrick Magee. They’re reminiscent of the glorious 1981 effects work in The Howling and An American Werewolf in London. I’m sure Rob Bottin and Rick Baker would approve. Highly detailed prosthetic corpses, convincing decay, real maggots, and gruesome mutilation effects make the autopsy scenes a wonderfully disgusting showcase. Best of all, the effects appear to rely on practical craftsmanship rather than obvious CGI. Thank goodness someone still understands that sometimes the best computer-generated effect is no computer-generated effect at all.
The story takes a little while to get moving, but that slow burn pays off. Resist spoilers, and you’ll have fun piecing together what’s happening within this deeply troubled family, rather than simply waiting for the next dismemberment. The mystery is well written, the effects are fantastic, and the ending wraps things up nicely.
The Cycle earns its place alongside excellent Shudder offerings like Late Night with the Devil and When Evil Lurks. It may take its time getting under your skin, but once it does, you’ll be glad you stuck around. Just maybe don’t schedule a medical examination that day.
