2026 · Film
Cult
Vishwak Sen's Telugu slasher thriller in which more than 300 people trapped on an island estate in Goa must survive a series of deadly games.
Released Fri, 30 Oct, 2026
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sat, 24 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 28 October 2026, Cult is showing in theatres in India.
In theatres
In theatres
Checked Wed, 28 Oct, 2026
The story
More than 300 people are trapped inside an isolated island estate in Goa. The property is ringed by electric fencing and the main entrance is rigged with RDX explosives, so the only way to stay alive is to take part in a series of deadly games. Vishwak Sen plays DSP Sankalp Nayak, a police officer caught up in the danger.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
Pitched at viewers who want a gory survival thriller; the makers bill it as a slasher and the trailer is full of violence, so it is unlikely to suit children. The CBFC certificate is not yet published.
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Cult is written and directed by Vishwak Sen, who also plays the lead, and produced by Sandeep Kakarala under Tarak Cinemas. Tharun Bhascker wrote the dialogue, Ravi Basrur composed the music and Aravind Viswanathan shot it. The makers call it India's first authentic slasher thriller, inspired by real incidents. It is unrelated to the Kannada film Cult released in January 2026.
A teaser came out in February 2026. Aditya Music released a promo on 19 September fixing 30 October for a worldwide theatrical release, and the trailer followed on 19 October; Sen said shooting wrapped that day. IANS reported that it opens simultaneously in Telugu, Hindi, English, Japanese and Spanish, but the official promos do not list a Hindi version, so Hindi audio is unknown. No streaming partner has been reported.
What we know so far
- Sat, 21 Feb, 2026Teaser released, introducing the slasher premise (Cinema Express). Source
- Sat, 19 Sept, 2026Aditya Music released the release-date promo: in theatres worldwide on 30 October 2026. Source
- Mon, 19 Oct, 2026Official trailer released on Aditya Music. Source
- Tue, 20 Oct, 2026Vishwak Sen announced the shoot had wrapped; IANS reported a simultaneous 30 October release in Telugu, Hindi, English, Japanese and Spanish (Hindi not shown in official promos). Source
The facts
- Language
- Telugu
- Hindi
- Hindi audio not confirmed
- Genre
- Slasher thriller, Survival thriller
- Director
- Vishwak Sen
- Cast
- Vishwak Sen, Gayatri Bharadwaj, Tarak Ponnappa, Murali Sharma, Srikanth Iyengar
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Cult in India?
- As of 28 October 2026, Cult is showing in theatres in India.
- When will Cult come to OTT?
- No OTT release date has been announced for Cult yet. We will update this page when a date is confirmed.