Salvation is a great example of spotlighting well-known names (Claire Forlani, Skeet Ulrich and Thomas Jane) and then setting them up for failure. The premise is appreciative, similar to its synopsis: Angela, a troubled foster teen, becomes part of a close-knit, snake-handling Pentecostal congregation, only to reveal unsettling secrets within the group. Confronted with the choice to expose the pastor’s misconduct or protect the fragile sense of belonging she’s found, she faces the difficult decision of risking her own safety for acceptance.  

Snakes.
Why’d it have to be snakes?

Yes, I’m channeling the great Indy Jones when realizing that I’d be forced to watch these scaly, slithering, serpents for over an hour and trying not to squirm in my seat. These creatures scare me. But what’s more chilling is the protective attachment shown through the churchgoers for these grisly vipers. Salvation isn’t solely about the snake symbolism upon the town; however strange and difficult it is to accept their godly presence. The arrival of precocious Angela into a heartfelt family (nicely portrayed by Forlani and Ulrich) instills a spirit of inclusion and a sense of curiosity which guides her into the hidden creepiness exuding from the preacher’s peculiar behavior.  

Once Pastor Whitney (a very sketchy Thomas Jane) makes his appearance, I had hoped for a thrilling ride into dark dejection which seems to illuminate his wicked soul. However, the muddled mania and uncertainty of his psychosis isn’t transparent. What is his game?

Whitney enjoys his own conundrums, especially during the cult-like sermons where introductions to his favorite creatures bring out the followers in hypnotic detachment. Angela witnesses the connection he has with the congregates while not dismissing the fury he inflicts upon his wife and teenage son, Luke. Through abusive measures including weaponizing these icky beasts, Angela is forced to risk her first stabilized homefront before more tragedy destroys them all.

I hear how dramatic that sounds, and it’s mainly derived from the opening credits declaring “Based on true events” but that doesn’t downgrade the absence of excitement from Salvation. It was built and dragged through boredom, unexplained trippy sequences, a potential psychic ability that is never explored and disassociation between these mindless characters who only provide glimmers of potential now and then. Not enough to keep me engaged and not enough to leave a lasting impression, except for the fact that I will be avoiding small town religious communities.