On a surveillance mission in a primordial forest, a park ranger encounters two survivalists following a post-apocalyptic lifestyle. The boy and his philosophical father seem to have their own religion, and a mysterious relationship to nature. There are many suspicious aspects to their existence, but when the cabin is attacked by strange, post-human beings one night, she learns that there is a greater threat in this emergent wilderness. Gaia is an ecological horror fantasy which engages the burning issues of our time.
This movie contains 18 potentially triggering events.
Barend shows manipulative, controlling and abusive behaviour: Keeping secrets from Stefan about the outside world, not educating Stefan, yelling, destroying Gabi’s phone, withholding medicine from Gabi, avoiding questions, telling Stefan he will be sold into slavery and eaten if he leaves with Gabi, attempting to murder Stefan for a sacrifice and then saying it was simply a test when he fails to do so.
Gaslighting is an overused term with a specific meaning, however Barend does show manipulative, controlling and abusive behaviour: Keeping secrets from Stefan about the outside world, not educating Stefan, yelling, destroying Gabi’s phone, withholding medicine from Gabi, avoiding questions, telling Stefan he will be sold into slavery and eaten if he leaves with Gabi, attempting to murder Stefan for a sacrifice and then saying it was simply a test when he fails to do so.
Barend shows manipulative, controlling and abusive behaviour towards his son Stefan: Keeping secrets from Stefan about the outside world, not educating Stefan, yelling, avoiding questions, telling Stefan he will be sold into slavery and eaten if he leaves with Gabi, attempting to murder Stefan for a sacrifice and then saying it was simply a test when he fails to do so.
Barend and Stefan hunt an animal. Its cries are heard and it is shown bleeding after death, but the actual impact and death are not shown. There is also a scene in the cabin shortly after Gabi meets the two men, of Stefan preparing a dead animal to eat by removing its organs. Raw meat is shown throughout the movie, as well as animal skulls in the cabin and furs used for clothing/bedding etc.
Near the beginning, shortly after two hunters are shown setting traps, there is a close-up of some large grubs for a few seconds, then again later after Gabi meets the two men in the cabin. The live grubs are shown multiple times and served as food.
Stefan has never seen a human woman before, and becomes infatuated with Gabi. Some of his interactions are inappropriate, such as touching her skin while she sleeps without her knowledge, watching her sleep and commenting that she is ‘pretty’ when she wakes up, removing her clothes very suddenly after she gets blood on them, licking her arm and suddenly kissing her to feed her a medicinal mushroom.
Near the beginning, Gabi walks into a trap and has a wooden stake impale her foot. Removal of the stake is shown, and the wound being treated. /// After Winston enters the swamp, he gets several cuts on his face while being pursued. /// When Barend and Stefan go into the forest to ‘make an offering’ a fight follows with cutting and stabbing.
**SPOILER** Towards the end, Barend becomes infected and it is implied that he probably died afterwards. Stefan’s mother is also believed to have died of cancer.
Shortly after arriving in the cabin, Gabi has a coughing fit and spits out a piece of fungus. There is also a lot of coughing up and spitting out of blood, but no ‘proper’ vomit.
Shortly after arriving in the cabin, Gabi has a coughing fit and spits out a piece of fungus. There is also a lot of coughing up and spitting out of blood.
Gabi appears to have an anxiety attack after leaving Barend in the forest after a fight, and returning to the cabin with Stefan to wash herself. /// Barend appears to have an anxiety attack after he is left in the forest after the fight and becomes infected.
No, however there IS body horror portrayed, with characters having fungus growing from their skin several times throughout the movie, and slowly transforming into humanoid fungus-like creatures.
**SPOILERS** After Gabi and Barend find Winston, he takes his life graphically with an arrow. /// After Gabi becomes infected, she asks Stefan to ‘show her mercy’ and its implied that he does, although it is not shown.
Breats and buttocks are shown multiple times, and Gabi has a vision in which sex between herself and Stefan is implied, and Barend is shown having sex with a tree.