'The Liberation' Review: Carrie Coon, Lily James And Bella Ramsey Soar In Guy Nattiv's Explosive Cult Thriller – Telluride Film Festival
Deadline
β’Sat, 05 Sep 2026 17:25:53 +0000
π° What Happened
Deadline's Pete Hammond reviews 'The Liberation', Guy Nattiv's cult thriller starring Carrie Coon, Lily James and Bella Ramsey, which had its world premiere Friday night at the Telluride Film Festival to a packed audience. Hammond calls it a surprisingly female-driven narrative that works as both an edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller and an 'achingly personal' story. The film is inspired by the strange journey of Nattiv's grandmother, a Holocaust survivor who fell under the spell of a cult.
π The Backstory
Nattiv's grandmother drifted slowly away from her husband and children late in life after falling under the spell of a woman ten years younger, something the family only recognised as a cult years after her passing. The director's deeply personal story is told 'through the female gaze', in Hammond's account, giving the thriller its emotional core. The premiere makes it one of the standout titles at this year's Telluride Festival.
π― Why It Matters
A cult thriller grounded in a real family history carries an authenticity and urgency rare in the genre. Warm receptions at Telluride often fuel awards campaigns and build momentum heading into the autumn festival season. For audiences, it promises a genre picture with a genuinely personal, historically grounded heart.
Deadline's Pete Hammond reviews 'The Liberation', Guy Nattiv's cult thriller starring Carrie Coon, Lily James and Bella Ramsey, which had its world premiere Friday night at the Telluride Film Festival to a packed audience. Hammond calls it a surprisingly female-driven narrative that works as both an edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller and an 'achingly personal' story. The film is inspired by the strange journey of Nattiv's grandmother, a Holocaust survivor who fell under the spell of a cult.
Nattiv's grandmother drifted slowly away from her husband and children late in life after falling under the spell of a woman ten years younger, something the family only recognised as a cult years after her passing. The director's deeply personal story is told 'through the female gaze', in Hammond's account, giving the thriller its emotional core. The premiere makes it one of the standout titles at this year's Telluride Festival.
A cult thriller grounded in a real family history carries an authenticity and urgency rare in the genre. Warm receptions at Telluride often fuel awards campaigns and build momentum heading into the autumn festival season. For audiences, it promises a genre picture with a genuinely personal, historically grounded heart.