A horror film shot in Augusta heads to several streaming platforms in August.
“The Observance” will be available on Apple TV, Google TV, and Amazon Prime on Aug. 28. Preorder begins Aug. 3.
The winner of 11 international film festival awards, “The Observance” focuses on the nightmare a woman awakens to after reviving from a five-year long coma. Two charismatic church leaders have sucked her family into a deadly cult, and she fights to get them out.
Filmed in Augusta in Spring 2024, the film went on the festival circuit, winning awards such as Best Suspense Thriller in the Feature category and Best Actor for Alec James, who plays Jonah in the film, at the Horror Hotel Film Festival in Cleveland in June 2025 and Best Independent Feature Film and Best Thriller at the Tokyo Film and Screenplay Awards in October 2025.
It received a theatrical release at AMC Theatres Valentine’s Day weekend. Cast and crew walked the red carpet for an Augusta premiere on Feb. 9.
While it might’ve seemed odd to release a horror film over a weekend focused on love, Anna Borchert, who played cult leader Athatliah, said in a December 2025 Augusta Good News article that there is a captivating love story in the film, and it wouldn’t be the one viewers would first think of.
“She and Jonah are such a duo. People are entranced by their relationship. I joked when we were making it, that despite the fact they lead a cult and she’s a murderer, it’s a healthy relationship,” she said.
Writer and director Rob Hollocks echoed her sentiments at the Feb. 9 premiere.
“Their relationship is super healthy. If they weren’t so evil and psychotic, it would be lovely,” said Hollocks.
The project took about seven years to come to life. Hollocks has filmed several movies in the Augusta area including “Applewood” and most recently “Mister Sleep”.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards, is the recipient of the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award and was named best local writer by readers of Augusta Magazine in 2024 and 2025. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
