Cult Thriller Extremist ‘So Fades the Light’ Examines the Trauma of a Former “God Queen”

If you have experienced trauma from a religious upbringing, raise your hand. Entertainment frequently comments on extremism in a divided America where some fiercely oppose and adhere to established religion: The 2025 Tribeca stunner Sovereign (which provides a glimpse into the Bible-thumping far-right world of the sovereign citizen movement) and Hulu’s 2022 series Under the Banner of Heaven (which focuses on a fundamentalist Utah sect of the LDS religion) both explore the weight and devastating effects of disturbingly cult-like radical teachings, both of which are based on terrifying true-crime stories. With So Fades the Light, writer-director Rob Cousineau and co-director Chris Rosik now take the stage.

This gripping psychological thriller centers on Sun (Kiley Lotz), a nomadic woman who was previously considered the “God Child” and worshipped by the Iron and Fire Ministry, a right-wing extremist gun cult. Sun sets out on a contemplative journey fifteen years after a SWAT force attacked the cult’s base, murdering dozens of gun-wielding men, women, and children and apprehending the deranged Reverend (D. Duke Solomon). Unaware that the Reverend has recently been freed from prison and is also returning to the dystopian location, she embarks on a solitary “van life” journey across Michigan in search of closure, which leads her to the compound of the defunct cult.

So Fades the Light highlights the dangers of organized religion, indoctrination, and groupthink, particularly when a cunning predator is in charge of the operation. It includes both current night terrors that highlight the extent of Sun’s religious trauma and distressing flashbacks to her early years as the Iron and Fire Ministry’s cherished God Queen/God Child, where she is portrayed as a cherub-like beauty in a bullet crown. Unfortunately, the film’s premise is quite formulaic, and the predatory prophet and cult’s core ideology are both clichéd and ambiguously provocative. Nevertheless, So Fades the Light falls just short of being a groundbreaking film due to its vivid visions, mentors for the supporting cast, and a glimpse of freedom from a dark past.

The Reverend’s terrifying sermon, which is reminiscent of Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s legendary horror masterpiece The Lodge, opens Fades the Light with a bang. The point, it seems, is that the Reverend is both a frightening character and a perfectly normal (if eerie) guy wearing wire-frame glasses. Standing behind a platform with an assault rifle, he utters drivel about “wicked demons” that include people in “cities of sin partaking in homosexuality [and] interbreeding” and “fornicators against [the] God Queen.” “The very light of the God Queen herself will shine through [their] love,” he asserts, suggesting action against the previously named impure cities.

An unsettling cinematic glimpse of the consequences of a Kool-Aid-drinking existence is suggested by the blurry images of the religious speech, the fatal SWAT squad shooting, and the videographer’s evident melancholy. However, the tense beginning is short-lived since Sun’s development—or lack thereof—is respectfully given silence and gentleness.

Adult viewers watch Sun goes about her daily self-care routine, getting her stuff out of her rusting vehicle and then using a public restroom to wash up. Holy tiny Sun was not brought up to deal with the harsh truths of the outside world, as soon as it becomes evident. She was told that she is God’s chosen one and the purest form of holy light, so of course she wasn’t. “She peaked in high school” does not compare to “She peaked in her God Child era.”

Since the weight of formerly being declared literally holier-than-thou is so perplexing, Sun’s concept of self is nonexistent. She portrays herself as somewhat androgynous, with a pixie hairstyle and simple baggy t-shirts and sweatshirts concealing her body. Her lack of identity and hatred of her history are evident throughout the movie. Perhaps Sun’s gender presentation is an unconscious response to the patriarchal, sexist hell that the ladies of the Iron and Fire Ministry cult endured.

Sun exhibits obvious signs of distress when she pays a visit to her close friend Autumn (Ny’Ea Reynolds), who was also raised in the circle. With a home, a spouse, and a preteen son, Autumn managed to establish a “normal” existence and a strong spiritual and religious bond. However, being the celestial God Child was not a burden that Autumn had to bear. Although Sun doesn’t say much, it’s clear from Kiley Lotz’s beautiful facial expressions that she feels uncomfortable seeing Autumn and her kid bow in prayer.

The people Sun encounters on her road journey, such as the really cool Sagittarius skater girl Tony (D. Lou), have some of the most poignant words in the movie. Sun is awakened to the fact that she is embarking on a life-changing adventure by Tony, who is wearing a hoodie featuring a collage print of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. “A trip is going to see something,” she said, “but a journey is going to know it.” What precisely Sun will “know,” however, is up for debate because So Fades the Light gives a lot of space for interpretation.

But a fortuitous meeting with a lesbian couple gives Sun a fresh perspective on religion and love. Iron and Fire’s views on LGBT people may be the cause of Sun’s first uneasiness when she first meets Julian (Asia Hicks) and Patti (Anika Pyle) at a camping. Sun is however reassured by Patti’s insightful remarks regarding religion: “Religion may be a lovely thing in its own right. I adore God. And every morning when I wake up with Julian, I sense God. Patti laughs as she criticizes the church, saying, “I think it’s the people that fuck it up.”

Although Sun’s real resolution is a little underwhelming, she gets more meat from her interactions with Morgan (William Swift), a devoted collector of Iron and Fire relics who operates a small museum under a gas station. He is a shining example of the kind of people who, like heedless true-crime acolytes and serial killer fans, transform the suffering of others into a cold, heartless entertainment. In a scenario that seems like a real liberation for the erstwhile God Child, a giving go of an oppressive load, Sun “blesses” him with little sympathy for a man like Morgan. It’s a lot to be told in your prepubescent years that you are the light that will cure the entire planet. Even though viewers don’t learn Sun’s identity, it could be sufficient to see her exhale only once.