"The Clearing," Disney+'s inaugural Australian original scripted series, surpasses the typical eerie productions featuring intriguing leaders and devoted followers. After all, who doesn't love a compelling cult story?
Commencing with a scene showing a woman submerged in a mist-shrouded lake, co-director Jeffrey Walker smoothly transitions to the bone-chilling roadside abduction of eight-year-old Sara (Lily LaTorre). She is forcibly taken to Blackmarsh, a rural property in Victoria, where she becomes a member of a cult led by the captivating Adrienne (Miranda Otto). Adrienne's goal is to cultivate "pure and untainted" children, sheltered from society's suffocating regulations.
Adrienne accomplishes this alleged state of purity by imposing strict limitations on the children's exposure to the outside world, subjecting them to food deprivation, administering LSD to them, and dressing them uniformly with matching bleach blonde haircuts. This depiction bears resemblance to the eerie children from the film Village of the Damned.
The series, created by Matt Cameron and Elise McCredie, was adapted from JP Pomare's novel In the Clearing, which drew inspiration from the real-life cult known as the Family. This Australian doomsday cult was led by Anne Hamilton-Byrne, a yoga instructor who proclaimed herself to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, preaching a blend of Christianity, Eastern mysticism, and apocalyptic prophecies.
Otto's portrayal in this role is remarkably fitting, exuding a chillingly superior demeanor that combines smugness, eccentricity, sophistication, and, of course, sheer madness. It's also somewhat reminiscent of her previous role as Zelda Spellman in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Through strategic manipulation, Adrienne exerts control over her loyal followers, employing a calculated approach of selectively showering them with her charismatic attention while also withholding it when necessary. Among her chief subordinates are Dr. Bryce Latham (played by Guy Pearce), a scholarly physicist whose middle-class respectability plays a pivotal role in upholding the cult's public image. Another key figure is the profoundly discontented 'Aunty Tamsin' (portrayed by Kate Mulvany), characterized by her bowl haircut, who instills terror in the isolated community of abducted children known as the Kindred. Employing cruel methods such as starvation and physical abuse, she coerces them into accepting Adrienne as their 'Mummy'.
Another great performance from Teresa Palmer, a talented actress with a remarkable ability to convey a haunting presence in subtle ways. She portrays Freya, a single parent deeply disturbed by the aforementioned abduction and profoundly concerned about her young son's well-being. It's revealed that Freya finds herself simultaneously inside and outside the cult's realm, granting her a unique position within the narrative.
What adds to the irresistible allure of The Clearing is its astute understanding that cults flourish through complicity rather than sheer dominance. The series delves into the intriguing territory of how individuals scarred by trauma can deceive themselves into believing they have gained control over their past, offering a gratifying exploration of ambivalence.
New episodes of The Clearing are available weekly on Hulu/Disney+.
