Dirty Boy – Movie Review (3/5)

DIRTY BOY is a new thriller with a cult mystery plot that also features elements of science fiction. It has a slow-burn vibe for a long time, as the mystery unravels, but also manages to end on a very high note. Read our full Dirty Boy movie review here!

DIRTY BOY is a cult mystery thriller that has plot elements of both horror and thriller as well. In other words, a genre-mix that hits all the right spots. I wasn’t too crazy about the slow-burning mystery, which was slower than necessary.

However, I still feel that the strong ending and final cult-related reveals more than made up for this. Simply put: I absolutely recommend that you watch this mindf**k of a thriller and try to have more patience than I did initially.

Continue reading our Dirty Boy movie review below. Find it in UK cinemas from September 10, 2025, and in select US theaters from September 19, 2025.

Trad cult goes sci-fi

With Dirty Boy, our title character is a young man raised in a very oppressive cult. The scenery is like something straight out of The Sound of Music but the behavior and outfits are from decades earlier than the iconic musical movie.

Think more along the lines of the Amish. Except they do have some gadgets that are straight out of a sci-fi movie. Everything from the Internet to Social Media clearly exists, but not for the people living in this lush mountain village home.

Regardless of the gorgeous surroundings, the people living in this cult are subjected to a life that can only be described as very traditional. We’re not “just” talking the whole “Tradwife” trend of current social media.

It’s way more cult-related than that.

What makes a young man dirty?

Getting back to the title character, this young man, Isaac (Stan Steinbichler), is not only trapped in a cult, but he also has to deal with schizophrenia. As a schizophrenic, he is in a battle with himself.

You can almost compare him to James McAvoy in Shyamalan‘s Split and Glass.

And yes, I do realize that the Shyamalan character did not have schizophrenia, so I’m talking more in terms of how he changes when his illness takes over. One part of Isaac is a pure and innocent young man; the other makes him the title character.

A female Pastor leads the Cult

To be fair, Isaac is just a young person trapped in someone else’s idea of what he should be and how he ought to behave. And if you think it’s tough being a young man in this religion, you would not want to be a young woman.

For the female members of this cult, it’s all about growing the cult, so they need to get pregnant. However, when the young men are to be good and pure, you can probably guess who will be the “baby daddy” of this cult.

Oh yes, the Patriarch, Walter (Graham McTavish), of the cult household. And this is despite the fact that the Matriarch, Verity (Susie Porter), is the Pastor of the cult.

Also, there is the element of people (usually young women) being murdered by the cult. Why? Well, you’ll have to watch Dirty Boy to find out, but you can be sure it’s all part of the cult teachings and rituals.

Watch Dirty Boy in UK and US theaters

Dirty Boy is the feature-length directorial debut of writer and producer Doug Rao. It’s a very impressive way for Doug Rao to start his career as a genre director. One that will undoubtedly leave an impact on all who watch it.

The cult horror thriller is hitting theaters now after a very successful film festival run. From the 2024 Cannes Film Market to the Girona Film Festival in Spain, and the Raindance Film Festival in the UK, where it was nominated for four awards.

Finally, I have to say that I immediately looked up where Dirty Boy was filmed. Despite the sinister and scary story told, this location was so gorgeous that I had to know where it was. Dirty Boy was filmed around Lake Grundlsee in Styria, Austria.

And yes, this is a place I’m hoping to see in real life. Though even more so, I desperately hope I won’t meet any cult-affiliated people there.

Dirty Boy will be coming to UK cinemas from September 10, followed by Digital platforms on October 15. In the US, it will have a limited theater release on September 19, 2025.

Details

Director: Doug Rao
Writer: Doug Rao
Cast: Stan Steinbichler, Susie Porter, Graham McTavish, Honor Gillies, Olivia Chenery