Netflix has released the first Apostle trailer for the long-awaited new film from writer/director Gareth Evans, who helmed the terrific action franchise The Raid. Evans enters incredibly different territory here, as Apostle is set in 1905 and stars Dan Stevens as Thomas Richardson, a man who travels to a secluded, idyllic island where his sister is being held for ransom by a religious cult. But once Thomas arrives, he finds far more sinister goings-on lurking under the surface.

This trailer is dark, bloody, violent, and insanely gritty, and essentially announces that the guy who made The Raid movies has now made a horror movie. Not only that, he got Michael Sheen to lend his brilliance to the film as its villain, charismatic cult leader Prophet Malcolm. Stevens has already proven to be leading man material with the underrated The Guest, and he seems to more than hold his own here. Add in Sheen’s delightful insanity and Evans’ taste for visceral action, and Apostle appears to be the whole package—especially for genre fans.

Check out the Apostle trailer below and look for our review of the film out of its Fantastic Fest world premiere in the coming weeks. The film also stars Lucy Boynton, Mark Lewis Jones, Bill Milner, Kristine Froseth, and Paul Higgins. Apostle will be available on Netflix on October 12th.

Here’s the official synopsis for Apostle:

London, 1905. Prodigal son Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) has returned home, only to learn that his sister is being held for ransom by a religious cult. Determined to get her back at any cost, Thomas travels to the idyllic island where the cult lives under the leadership of the charismatic Prophet Malcolm (Michael Sheen). As Thomas infiltrates the island's community, he learns that the corruption of mainland society that they claim to reject has infested the cult's ranks nonetheless - and uncovers a secret far more evil than he could have imagined. Written and directed by Gareth Evans (THE RAID), APOSTLE is a harrowing occult fable where the only thing more horrifying than madness is the sinister reality behind it.

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Image via Netflix