Moloch

On the edge of a North Dutch peat bog, Betriek and her family endure a terrifying night when a stranger invades their home. The assault shatters their sense of safety and drives Betriek to seek an explanation, fueled by fear and stubborn resolve. Her investigation threads through marshy landscapes, decaying outbuildings, and whispered rumors by neighbors who might be hiding something. As she follows a growing trail of clues, the atmosphere tightens and what begins as a personal mystery starts to feel like a chill old legend reawakening. The more she probes, the more it seems a force older than humanity is closing in.

Directed by Nico van den Brink and based on an original concept by Daan Bakker, Moloch was released in 2022 as a Dutch horror mystery. Cast includes Sallie Harmsen, Alexandre Willaume, Markoesa Hamer, Jack Wouterse and Anneke Blok.

The film leans into rural isolation and a creeping sense of being hunted, using the peat bog as a character in its own right. Betriek's escalating danger stresses resourcefulness and resolve, while Sallie Harmsen's restrained performance keeps the tension taut and the dread palpable.

For Dutch horror, Moloch adds to a growing line of rural folklore thrillers that put place and myth at the center. Its stark visuals of the bog linger in memory and influence later local genre efforts.