Killing Faith (2025)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A mother's fear of her daughter's deadly touch leads to a desperate journey across the American West.
The story
Set in the American West in 1849, Sarah, a formerly enslaved woman, flees with her mysterious daughter through a region ravaged by disease and violence. Sarah believes her daughter is possessed by the Devil because every living thing the girl touches dies. Dr. Bender, a widowed physician who suspects a medical condition, accompanies them to a purported faith healer. During the perilous journey, the boundaries between faith, science, and the concepts of good and evil become increasingly blurred as Bender begins to doubt his own rational explanations for the girl's condition.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1849, Sarah, a formerly enslaved woman, flees with her daughter, whom she believes is possessed by the Devil because the girl's touch causes death. They are joined by Dr. Bender, a physician who suspects a medical cause. They seek a faith healer, but during the journey, Bender's rationalism is challenged. Convinced the girl is evil, Sarah tries to drown her, but Bender shoots Sarah to save the child and takes her to Ross Corner. There, Preacher Ross—who intends to kill them both—takes Bender prisoner. The girl speaks to Bender, urging him to break his internal 'iron.' Bender smashes his hands against a stone to break free. The girl reveals she can both kill and restore life, bringing Sarah back to life. The film ends with all three surviving, leaving it ambiguous whether the girl is truly supernatural or a product of human fear.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 108
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ned Crowley
- Writers
- Ned Crowley · writer; Ned Crowley · story; David Martin · story
- Cast and characters
- Guy Pearce · Dr. Bender; DeWanda Wise · Sarah; Bill Pullman · Preacher Ross; Raoul Trujillo · Shakespeare; Jamie Neumann · Whitey; Jack Alcott · Edward; Joanna Cassidy · Maggie; Emily Ford · the girl
- Genres
- supernatural thriller; Western
- Themes
- faith vs. science; fear of the unknown; prejudice; redemption
- Tone and mood
- supernatural; thriller
- Setting
- The American West in 1849
- Premise and plot tags
- supernatural; Western; thriller
- Production trivia
- Principal photography began in and around Santa Fe, New Mexico in January 2024.; The film was announced in development in November 2023.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…