The title of this gripping psychological thriller comes from the name of a religious cult, whose inner workings are never seen. In terms of the narrative, the word “faults” works in two ways: for the blame and guilt the main character faces and the way the group uses the term as a geological fracture. Faults, though, does not take place at all within the organization, but rather it examines the impact and fallout of mental control.

Ansel Roth (Leland Orser) has hit rock bottom. He was once the foremost expert on cults, having had his own television program. He made his living by aiding families whose members had been taken in by these organizations, helping to rehabilitate them. After a tragic accident in which a young woman he was working with killed herself, Ansel and his work have become obsolete. While hosting a poorly attended lecture to promote his self-published book, Ansel is approached by a couple (Beth Grant and Chris Ellis) who have lost their daughter, Claire (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), to a cult known as Faults. Initially Ansel refuses to get involved with this kind of work again. After his manager, Terry (Jon Gries), sends a lackey to collect money owed, Ansel reluctantly takes on the couple, if only for the cash.

An elaborate plan is concocted in which Ansel and some hired hands kidnap Claire and take her to a hotel. There, Ansel, with the aid of her parents, will take five days to try to break down Claire’s mental state, making her question the cult’s values. Claire proves at first to be a challenge for Ansel. She’s violent and holds steadfast to her beliefs. She and Ansel, however, becomes somewhat close, especially when he realizes her relationship with her parents might be just as a dangerous as the cult. As Ansel learns more about the transcendental aspects of Faults and Terry pushes for his money sooner, it becomes harder and harder to guess who might be in control of the situation.

Orser’s Ansel is so downtrodden and desperate at the beginning that it would have been an easy guess that the narrative would routinely follow his redemption. The opening scene is lengthy, in which Ansel tries to get out of paying for a cheap meal at his hotel. It sets up the character as a repulsive leech, and Orser plays the role wonderfully, not letting the audience have much, if any, sympathy for Ansel.

The film could have gone the route of a quirky dark comedy, especially with a cast of such great character actors. When Claire enters the picture, however, the story immediately takes a dark turn into unexpected territory. Winstead does a great job of keeping Claire mysterious. She bounces between innocent naivety and strong-willed determinism with ease. It brings to mind her role in Smashed, though here her motivations are much murkier. The fact that a majority of the film takes place in a hotel room, adds to the film’s claustrophobic, yet enigmatic nature.

The supernatural power of the cult is left somewhat ambiguous, but the themes of control and freewill are well fleshed out by the end. Despite the inscrutability of characters’ motivations, I was still surprised by a plot twist. Faults succeeds in obscuring power dynamics, fooling not only its characters, but its audience as well.