‘Terror is a place.’
The Banished is a 2024 horror film about a young woman alone and terrorised in a forest by an unseen presence. It was originally titled Baal.
Written and directed by Joseph Sims-Dennett, the movie stars Meg Eloise-Clarke, David Beelen and Steve Brekalow.
Plot:
Upon the death of her abusive father, Grace returns to the derelict coal mining town where she grew up, only to find that her brother, David, is missing. Deciding to reunite her family, she sets off into the wilderness guided by a strange man from her past, hoping to find a hippie commune that David has escaped to.
Along the way, Grace is abandoned and injures her leg. Her only hope becomes another lost hiker who is communicating with her via radio. They agree to meet at an identified landmark in the deep forest where he will provide medical help, but as Grace makes her way closer, suspicions grow as to the true identity of the hiker.
As her body begins to break down and hope fades, the nighttime noises grow ever more menacing, the forest birthing a dark presence that threatens to consume Grace….
Trailer:
Release:
July 24, 2025
Country of origin:
Australia
Notes:
Not to be confused with the Colombian horror film of the same name, which is also known as Caliban (2019).
