Cillian Murphy’s Forgotten 2011 Horror Thriller On Prime Video Will Leave You Stressed Out

As 2025 comes to a close, most of us will be browsing through endless lists of Christmas movies to stream in search of something new (before giving up and revisiting Buddy the Elf and Kevin McCallister for the billionth time). Then there are those of us who like a little spookiness with our holiday entertainment, and there are plenty of great Christmas horror movies to choose from. However, if you’re looking for something dark but not exactly terrifying this December — perhaps a solid thriller set in one location with a compelling cast — “Retreat” is ready and waiting for you on Prime Video.

“Retreat” is a psychological thriller starring Cillian Murphy, Thandiewe Newton, and Jamie Bell. This was the directorial debut of Carl Tibbets, who has since directed episodes of the Netflix series “Hemlock Grove” and “Black Mirror,” including the horror episode that inspired “Severance.” Before all that, he started with the book Retreat, which he also co-wrote with journalist and author Janice Hallett.

The 2011 British film follows unhappy couple Murphy and Newton as they attempt to mend their relationship on a secluded holiday on a remote island. Things descend into chaos and paranoia, however, when a strange man arrives on the island’s shore and claims that a global pandemic is wiping out the population. If this sounds like a good old time Christmas in 2025, the film is now streaming at no extra cost on Prime Video and is completely free on Tubi.

“Retreat” isn’t quite as exciting as Cillian Murphy and Rachel McAdams’ psychological thriller “Red Eye,” but it’s worth a watch because many aspects of the film are really well done. The cast is usually great in their roles, and Tibbetts does a great job of maintaining a tense atmosphere throughout, which probably isn’t all that difficult given the interesting premise of this thriller.

Cillian Murphy and Thandiwe Newton play Kate and Martin Kennedy, an emotionally wounded and distant couple who try to mend their relationship by going on vacation together. In order to really focus on their relationship, they chose a cabin on an uninhabited island off the coast of Scotland, which was supposed to provide them with the perfect secluded oasis to nurture their flagging love. Instead, things very quickly turn into a nightmare.

While the couple is being transported to the island by homeowner Doug (Jimmy Yueill) we learn that Martin’s cell phone has lost service, reinforcing how isolated the couple will be during their trip. So, when Jack Corman, played by Jamie Bell, appears out of nowhere claiming that the world is decimated by a deadly airborne virus, there’s absolutely no way of knowing whether he’s telling the truth or not. The wounded ex-soldier is taken in by the couple and quickly transforms from a helpless figure in need of shelter into a vicious madman, trapping the trio in their shack as they try to avoid horrors that may or may not exist in the outside world. Of course, the true horror eventually comes out from within…

‘Retreat’ premiered at the 2011 Fantasia Film Festival before being given a limited theatrical release in the UK and US the same year. But it remained largely under the radar, and has since remained as isolated as three cordoned off zones that follow it. However, it’s now available on Prime Video, which otherwise offers Dwayne Johnson’s “Red One” for Christmas 2024 — a film you should definitely skip in favor of “Retreat.”

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 62%, based on 13 reviews, which isn’t bad for a movie that no one remembers. In his review for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw gave Retreat three out of five stars, describing it as an “elegant, well-crafted trilogy” that makes good use of its setting. Most of his praise is reserved for Jamie Bell, who “let’s tear through what may be the most riveting segment since Billy Elliot.”

Letterboxd has similarly average reviews. “Retreat” received an average score of 2.8, with one user lamenting: “Stuff I watch for Cillian Murphy.” However, many enjoyed the film, with another user calling it a “wild, Covid-like story” that “makes you wonder if this guy is telling the truth or just plain crazy.”