Suffer Review: A Myth Forged From Silence, Resistance, and Imagination
- Romey Norton
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Romey Norton - January 13, 2026
Made for a reported $30,000 with a skeleton crew and boundless ambition, Suffer is the kind of indie fantasy that survives on conviction. Written and directed by Dos Goats (Kerry Carlock and Nick Lund-Ulrich), the film blends fantasy, western, and survival cinema into something both spare and strangely operatic. A work less concerned with world-building through exposition than with atmosphere, gesture, and resolve.
Set in a harsh, unnamed land ruled by the tyrannical Scarlet Prince, Suffer follows Ida Blye (Naomi McDougall Jones), a defiant handmaiden exiled to the wilderness and left to die. The Prince’s power is enforced through enchanted masks that literally silence his subjects, a blunt but effective metaphor for authoritarian control. Ida’s survival hinges on forbidden magic, magic that is slowly killing her, forcing the film into a compelling race between resistance and self-destruction.
The film opens with the quote “the best protection a woman can have is courage”, which is intriguing and thought-provoking. From the start, visually, Suffer punches far above its budget. There are lots of lovely landscape shots, from vast lands to mountains. The imagery of Ida is striking. In a red dress and an iron face mask, there is a similarity to The Handmaid's Tale and Hannibal Lector. Her chained body and face within this beautiful scenery is a clear juxtaposition. The land mirrors her wild character and reminds her of the freedom she desires.
Jones delivers a striking, largely silent performance. Her Ida is all grit, communicating through physicality and gaze rather than dialogue. It’s a risky choice, but one that pays off: the film’s emotional weight accumulates through endurance rather than speech, mirroring its themes of suppressed voices and embodied resistance. Her character and plight is intriguing and will keep you invested until the end.
If Suffer occasionally strains under the weight of its symbolism, it is largely because its ambitions are so clear. This is a film uninterested in subtle allegory; its politics are direct, its feminism unapologetic, its rage carefully focused. That clarity feels refreshing in a genre often cluttered by lore. But this doesn't mean the magic and lore are weak - it's a very nice balance without being overbearing.
The story is simple, easy to understand, and the film trusts its audiences to sit still and follow as it is a slow burner. The first 50 minutes we spend learning about Ida and her trying to find her way. The last 30 minutes are the most intense and worth holding out for. The film takes care in world building through carefully selected costumes and even if the CGI is a little basic, you understand you’re in a fantasy world and this helps add to the horror aspect of the film.
Rough-edged, imaginative, and quietly defiant, Suffer stands as proof that scale is not a prerequisite for impact. It is a small film with a large, unwavering voice. This is a fantasy about dissent made by filmmakers who clearly believe in it. A must-see for fans of films with strong female leads, filled with drama and fantasy!
'Suffer' is available to watch on Prime Video and Apple TV.
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