In fourteenth-century England, peasant girl Christine Carpenter is so attracted to a statue of the Virgin Mary that the local priest (who lusts after her) suggests she be walled up in the church as an anchoress, a holy woman with responsibility for blessing the villagers. But when the priest has Christine's mother tried as a witch, she digs herself out of her cell, a crime for which the punishment is death.
In this smart and erotic psychological thriller from alumni filmmaker Nate Dushku, we follow bird watcher Kristian Brooks as he invades a nude queer campground in New Hampshire, manipulating others to serve his dark fetish while blurring the line between protagonist and antagonist. For fans of Stranger By the Lake, BIRDER captivates and challenges its audience, bringing into conversation questions of consent and overt sexuality. Actor Michael Emery gives a complex and enigmatic lead performance that is equal parts sexy and terrifying, and the naturalistic setting and minimalistic filmmaking style only further serve this sophisticated and wildly adventurous narrative.