The Aviary

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2:13

The Aviary

R

2022

1h 36m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

26 Reviews

47%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Malin Akerman, Lorenza Izzo, and Chris Messina star in this twisted thriller about two women's desperate attempt to flee the clutches of Skylight, an insidious cult. Trapped at Skylight's isolated desert campus, The Aviary, Jillian (Akerman), and Blair (Izzo) join forces to make a treacherous escape. Alone in the harsh wilderness, they are consumed by paranoia and unable to shake the feeling that they are being followed by the cult's leader, Seth (Messina), a man as seductive as he is controlling. With supplies dwindling and their senses failing, Jillian and Blair are faced with a horrifying question: how do you run from an enemy who lives inside your head?

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Critics Consensus

The Aviary's adroitly assembled cast lends extra weight to an uneven depiction of how dangerous cults can be.

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Noel Murray

Los Angeles Times

Apr 29, 2022

An excellent cast and some skillful direction goes a long way toward making “The Aviary” feel genuinely revealing.

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Courtney Howard

AV Club

Apr 29, 2022

Layered with thought-provoking questions about the nature of self, coping during extreme crisis and healing from trauma, the cage crafted is claustrophobic and expansive all at the same time.

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Odie Henderson

RogerEbert.com

Apr 29, 2022

1.5/4

The Aviary tries to wring suspense and mystery out of a flimsy plot.

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Ferdosa

Screen Rant

Jun 23, 2022

3/5

Chris Cullari and Jennifer Raite show a strong understanding of the persuasive methods cults utilize and empathy for those trapped within them.

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Heather Wixson

Daily Dead

Jun 13, 2022

3.5/5

I think that both Cullari and Raite do a great job of utilizing certain restrictions to their advantage to create a cinematic experience that effectively reflects the isolation that these women are feeling outside the confines of the cult.

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Jun 2, 2022

C+

Suffering from a shaky script.

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DeAnne G

@RT99930910 Jul 13, 2025

I would really like that 1:35 of my life back please! My time would have been better spent digging a hole in the backyard just to fill it back up! Absolutely HORRIBLE!

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jun 29, 2025

Success in 1 hour and 36 minutes!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Language and Some Violent Content!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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brad p

@Bradster69 Feb 21, 2023

The Aviary is generic cult shocker elevated by strong lead performances

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Mario C

@RT00568997 Sep 14, 2022

Waste of time. Hard to follow, poor script and confusing endings.

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May 14, 2022

This is how you make a low budget movie. You ask interesting questions, write a smart script, and cast great actors. Don't know why the poster makes it look like action movie. This is an indie drama psychological thriller mind fuck.

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greg r

@itsgregsworld May 14, 2022

I didn't love this. But I also respected it. It is definitely what it is like to be in a cult. For a small budget, this is solid filmmaking.

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Chris Cullari

Director

Jennifer Raite

Director

Lorenza Izzo

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Synopsis

Malin Akerman, Lorenza Izzo, and Chris Messina star in this twisted thriller about two women's desperate attempt to flee the clutches of Skylight, an insidious cult. Trapped at Skylight's isolated desert campus, The Aviary, Jillian (Akerman), and Blair (Izzo) join forces to make a treacherous escape. Alone in the harsh wilderness, they are consumed by paranoia and unable to shake the feeling that they are being followed by the cult's leader, Seth (Messina), a man as seductive as he is controlling. With supplies dwindling and their senses failing, Jillian and Blair are faced with a horrifying question: how do you run from an enemy who lives inside your head?

Director: Chris Cullari, Jennifer Raite
Producer: Marcei A. Brown, Andrew Miller, Jessica Rhoades, Jeanette Volturno
Screenwriter: Chris Cullari, Jennifer Raite
Distributor: Saban Films
Production Co: Stagecoach Entertainment, Pacesetter Productions International, The Forest Road Company, Catchlight Studios
Rating: R (Language|Some Violent Content)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 29, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 29, 2022
Runtime: 1h 36m

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