Director: Dean Puckett
Cast: Emma Appleton, Toby Stephens, Jodhi May, Lewis Gribben, Barney Harris
The Severed Sun is a 2025 British horror film directed by Dean Puckett, set within the claustrophobic walls of a remote religious community. Running 80 minutes, it draws on folk-horror traditions to explore isolation, faith weaponized as control, and the terror that festers when a closed society turns on itself.
What is The Severed Sun about?
Magpie has grown up knowing no world beyond the church grounds where her father, the Pastor, governs every detail of daily life. When a member of the congregation is found dead under suspicious circumstances, the tight-knit group fractures under the weight of fear and accusation. Rumors spread of a savage creature lurking at the edge of the surrounding woodland, and the community — already stretched thin by grief and distrust — begins to collapse from within. Puckett keeps the threat ambiguous for much of the film, letting dread build through whispered conversations and meaningful glances rather than spectacle, as Magpie tries to understand what is real and what has been invented to keep her obedient.
Cast & crew
Emma Appleton leads as Magpie, bringing a quiet intensity to a character raised inside an almost total information vacuum. Toby Stephens plays the Pastor with a studied authority that makes his warmth feel as unsettling as his anger. Jodhi May, Lewis Gribben, and Barney Harris round out the community with performances that keep every character's guilt genuinely uncertain.
Context & significance
Folk horror has a long lineage in British cinema, from the isolated communities of the 1970s to contemporary slow-burn chamber pieces that trust atmosphere over jump scares. The Severed Sun fits squarely in that tradition. For Persian-speaking diaspora viewers who enjoy psychological and atmospheric horror with strong ensemble performances, the film offers an English-language original-audio experience — no Persian dubbing or subtitles are available, but its predominantly visual storytelling and sparse dialogue make it accessible. The setting of a religious community policing its own boundaries carries resonances that travel well across cultures.
Where & how to watch
The Severed Sun is available on K-Time. The film plays in original English audio; no Persian dubbing or subtitles are available for this title. Watch on your TV, phone, or browser — no VPN needed, no extra download, no geo-blocking. Cancel anytime.