Descendent

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Descendent

2025,

1h 32m,

Drama/

Horror/

Mystery & Thriller

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Watchlist

88%

26 Reviews

Tomatometer

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Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

26 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Critics Consensus

A thoughtfully crafted and emotionally resonant sci-fi drama, Descendent transcends its modest scale through strong performances and an engaging exploration of generational trauma and fatherhood.

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Matt Zoller Seitz

RogerEbert.com

Aug 8, 2025

3/4

Among its other virtues, 'Descendent' is a classic example of how a low-budget movie can do more with less.

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Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

Mar 16, 2025

Cilella keeps the plates spinning enough to make one curious about his follow-up.

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Dennis Harvey

Variety

Mar 14, 2025

[Descendent] limns its protagonist’s unraveling with suspenseful skill. But those expecting straightforward sci-fi horror may resent the writer-director’s insistence on sticking to an ambiguity.

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John Serba

Decider

May 29, 2026

Descendent is admirable for being a small, low-budget film making the most, and maybe a bit more, out of very little.

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Kat Hughes

THN

Oct 28, 2025

4/5

A slow burn atmospheric psychological thriller with a compelling lead character expertly performed by Ross Marquand, Descendent is proof that, in the right hands, the alien abduction story can be handled well.

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Sarah Vincent

Sarah G Vincent Views

Aug 19, 2025

“Descendent” proves that Ross Marquand is such a good actor that even viewers who get angry if the story has no clear resolution may overlook ambiguity because of the sincerity and emotion in his performance.

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Peter Cilella

Director

Ross Marquand

Actor

Sarah Bolger

Actor

Susan Wilder

Actor

Charlene Amoia

Actor

Dan O'Brien

Actor

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Director: Peter Cilella
Producer: David Lawson Jr., Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Caleb Ward
Screenwriter: Peter Cilella
Production Co: Rustic Films
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 32m

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