Buried Claims (14:40) - Cinema 3 - PG13

Buried Claims

Refilwe is a 22-year-old woman who has spent the last 15 years of her life in a secluded, Christian cult on the outskirts of Gauteng. After her father dies, she finds a journal expressing fear and doubt of the cult leader, Mpho. She initially tries to suppress her doubt but after a conversation with her childhood friend Palesa, she starts to question the nature of her father’s death. She realises many people have been dying recently and of the same mysterious illnesses that no one actually witnessed.

She decides to view her father’s body, something forbidden, and realises his body has been brutally beat, contradicting the illness they claimed he died for. Now scared for her life, Refilwe decides to sneak into the leader’s room to call for help and realises that Mpho has been killing his rebellious followers for insurance money. She is caught snooping and punished. Afterwards, she is confronted and held hostage by Thabo, Mpho’s right hand man who has caught onto her plan. She is let out of holding for a ceremonial burning of her father’s belongings and refuses to burn her father’s notebook, instead opting to expose his body and Mpho’s scheme to the followers.

Mpho calmly reframes the situation as providing for his people but is enraged when Refilwe refuses to submit. Refilwe is threatened to be killed and taken for holding when she escapes with Palesa’s help. The two girls run through the property evading the other members and eventually escape. Refilwe decides to leave whilst Palesa stays behind, still tied to the group. Afterwards, as one of the ladies cleans up the area, she finds Refilwe’s father’s journal and starts to doubt in the leader.

Saturday, 21 November 2026 · 14:40 · Cinema 3 · Age rating: PG13

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