When Erik Bloomquist’s Self-Help hit theatres on Halloween 2025, it painted the darkest and bloodiest portrait of modern wellness culture. Following Founders Day, the Bloomquist brothers shifted course toward the psychological terror of a cult, demonstrating how self-discovery rhetoric can devolve into a ritual of mutilation. While some horror films scare with masked killers, Self-Help does it with therapeutic language and weaponised positivity.
The story follows university student Olivia (Landry Bender) as she infiltrates a remote lakeside retreat after her mother Rebecca (Amy Hargreaves) falls under the spell of mysterious guru Curtis Clark (Jake Weber). Clark’s teachings begin with promises of self-actualisation but escalate into horrifying physical violence, where followers start gouging out their own eyes in the name of connecting with their true selves. Over its tight 85-minute runtime, the film shifts breathtakingly from family drama to body horror.
Jake Weber, as charismatic leader Curtis Clark, creates a human monster using nothing more than whispers and manipulative calm—never once raising his voice. Landry Bender serves as the emotional anchor as Olivia, desperately trying to pull her mother from this psychological quagmire. By grounding the cult mechanics in emotional vulnerabilities and familial disconnection rather than mystical powers, the Bloomquists heighten the film’s chilling impact.
Self-Help boldly exposes the potential for control and abuse lurking beneath the glossy packaging of the wellness industry, cementing itself as one of 2025’s most striking independent horror productions.
Cast
Landry Bender ‧ Olivia
Jake Weber ‧ Curtis Clark
Amy Hargreaves ‧ Rebecca
Director
Erik Bloomquist
