Descendent

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Descendent

2025

1h 32m

Sci-Fi

Horror

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

26 Reviews

43%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

A troubled man experiences strange visions after a mysterious light appears in the sky. With a baby on the way, he races to face his demons before his growing obsession consumes him.

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Critics Consensus

A thoughtfully crafted and emotionally resonant sci-fi drama, Descendent transcends its modest scale through strong performances and an engaging exploration of generational trauma and fatherhood.

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Matt Zoller Seitz

RogerEbert.com

Aug 8

3/4

Among its other virtues, 'Descendent' is a classic example of how a low-budget movie can do more with less.

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Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

03/16/2025

Cilella keeps the plates spinning enough to make one curious about his follow-up.

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Dennis Harvey

Variety

03/14/2025

[Descendent] limns its protagonist’s unraveling with suspenseful skill. But those expecting straightforward sci-fi horror may resent the writer-director’s insistence on sticking to an ambiguity.

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John Serba

Decider

May 29

Descendent is admirable for being a small, low-budget film making the most, and maybe a bit more, out of very little.

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Kat Hughes

THN

Oct 28

4/5

A slow burn atmospheric psychological thriller with a compelling lead character expertly performed by Ross Marquand, Descendent is proof that, in the right hands, the alien abduction story can be handled well.

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Sarah Vincent

Sarah G Vincent Views

Aug 19

“Descendent” proves that Ross Marquand is such a good actor that even viewers who get angry if the story has no clear resolution may overlook ambiguity because of the sincerity and emotion in his performance.

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Aja F

@ajamynne Jun 27

Oh my God do not waste your time with this movie. It was so frustratingly ridiculous, keeps you on the edge of your seat. The whole time thinking that something is going to happen and something's finally gonna make sense. And at the end, it doesn't really even make sense, I was ridiculous and a horrible waste of time.

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Joe W

@JoeWasik Jun 16

To be clear, this movie ends in a comma. Lots of movies (unfortunately) leave endings to interpretation, but in most cases you can figure out what the story had in mind. Here, the story ends mid frame. And the story that it does show is not even very interesting. It's just sort of a cavalcade of events -- no rhyme or reason for things happening. Acting is a mixed bag. Don't waste your time on Descendent. Professional reviewers seem to like it and that's one more reason for Rotten Tomatoes to exist-- so that it can show you what normal people think.

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S C

@RT03109890 Jun 1

Compelling film that combines a sci-fi set storyline with a reflection on parenthood. If you like the Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead films (Synchronic, Resolution, The Endless) then you'll definitely enjoy this and be thinking about it longer after the final credit roll.

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Lindsey A

@RT14474388 May 29

How am I the only one who hated this ending!?! It leaves you on this cliffhanger and i want to know what happens!! Did the wife survive labor? Did the baby?? What is going on!?!?

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Kristal P

@RT60589595 Mar 22

I really enjoyed this movie—it kept me on edge the entire time and held my attention from start to finish. The suspense was strong and made the experience very engaging. However, I do wish the ending had included a bit more explanation, as it felt slightly incomplete. Overall, though, I liked it and found it to be a compelling watch.

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Jeffrey P

@vanillavoodoo1 Mar 21

Revealed too much too soon given the ending... but it was otherwise solid and well performed.

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Peter Cilella

Director

Ross Marquand

Sean

Sarah Bolger

Andrea

Susan Wilder

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Synopsis

A troubled man experiences strange visions after a mysterious light appears in the sky. With a baby on the way, he races to face his demons before his growing obsession consumes him.

Director: Peter Cilella
Producer: David Lawson Jr., Caleb Ward, Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead
Screenwriter: Peter Cilella
Distributor: RLJE Films
Production Co: Rustic Films
Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 8, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2025
Runtime: 1h 32m
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1