Horror films have seen a resurgence lately. It’s a genre that isn’t just defined by how scary it is, or how gory it is. Horror is nuanced and oftentimes romantic, and when it is given the freedom to be what it wants to be, it’s also complex and thought-provoking. And with the nearly endless opportunities of stories and ideas that can become twisted up into something terrifying, there’s reason to believe that you will eventually come across something new. That’s just what director Daniel. J Phillips does with his new horror film, Diabolic.

Diabolic gives viewers a fresh new take on religious trauma. Rather than have our characters steeped in something like Catholic guilt, Phillips and screenwriters Mike Harding and Ticia Madsen dig into one of the most infamous religious sects: The Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, or FLDS. Even without the horror element, a fundamentalist group already has the workings of it, and Diabolic digs deep into the lasting trauma while giving it that horror twist.

Elise (Elizabeth Cullen) is desperate to heal the wounds left on her from her past with the FLDS. She returns with her friends Adam (John Kim) and Gwen (Mia Challis) in an effort to rid herself of the leftover pain. At the fundamentalist compound she grew up on, the three are met with Hyrum (Robin Goldsworthy) and Alma (Genevieve Mooy), two former members of the group, to help Elise overcome her demons.

We talked to Cullen about her love of horror movies, what it was like shooting this film in Adelaide, and what it was like to use practical effects.

‘DIABOLIC’: ELIZABETH CULLEN | THS INTERVIEW

“A lot of elements really intrigued me when I first heard about the project,” said Cullen when asked about what drew her to the role of Elise. “There’s the nature of it being a religious horror film, which we’ve seen a thousand times before, but this is just quite a different take on it.”