The Sect

A young schoolteacher named Miriam Kreisl accidentally knocks down an elderly man with her car near her home in Frankfurt. He declines hospital treatment and asks to rest at her house, where he seems oddly familiar with the building and its hidden lower levels. Before he dies, he speaks of a destiny he believes awaits her. After his death, violent and inexplicable events begin to occur among the people around her, connected to a Satanic cult that has operated for years and has ties to a deep well beneath the house.

Michele Soavi directed The Sect, his third feature, following Stage Fright (1987) and The Church (1989). The screenplay was written by Gianni Romoli, Dario Argento and Soavi, and the film was produced by Vittorio Cecchi Gori, Dario Argento and Mario Cecchi Gori. Kelly Curtis plays Miriam, with Herbert Lom as the old man, Moebius Kelly, and supporting roles from Mariangela Giordano, Michel Adatte, Carla Cassola and Angelika Maria Boeck among 24 credited cast members.

The Italian production had a budget of two million dollars and runs 116 minutes. Audience response has been moderate: on IMDb it holds 6 out of 10 from around 4,100 votes, and on TMDB 6.2 out of 10 from 133 votes.