Directed and written by Joseph Sims-Dennett, THE BANISHED (2024) is a chilling Australian folk horror film that dives deep into the wilderness—both literally and emotionally. Previously known as BAAL, the film made its world premiere at Beyond Fest in September 2024. Known for his earlier psychological horror Observance, Sims-Dennett returns with another atmospheric tale that explores grief, isolation, and the illusion of paradise.
The story centers on Grace (played by Meg Eloise-Clarke), who returns to her childhood home after the death of her estranged father. She goes on a dangerous quest to find her brother David (played by Gautier de Fontaine), who she thinks is living in a remote utopia deep in the forest. With the help of her old geology teacher, Mr. Green (played by Leighton Cardno), Grace goes into a harsh wilderness where evil hides in every corner.
WHERE WAS “THE BANISHED” (2024) FILMED?
The movie THE BANISHED was mostly shot in and around the Blue Mountains, which are west of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. It was probably filmed between the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, before it came out with the working title BAAL. Movie Insider says that the movie was officially “Completed” in June 2025, which means that all of the work that went into finishing it was done by the middle of the year.
THE BLUE MOUNTAINS, NEW SOUTH WALES
The Blue Mountains were where most of the shooting took place, and they helped give the movie its creepy and immersive feel. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known for its sandstone cliffs, deep valleys, eucalyptus trees, and the blue haze that gives the mountains their name. The oils from eucalyptus trees create this blue haze, which makes the images look dreamy and spooky, perfect for a psychological horror movie.
The film relies a lot on the harsh beauty and isolation of the scenery. The sounds of dense woods, birds singing, and the rustling of underbrush were all used to create a feeling of being lost and uneasy. The Three Sisters rock formation and Echo Point are two of the most famous tourist spots in the Blue Mountains, but Sims-Dennett decided not to show them. The crew instead focused on wild and remote places to make people feel even more cut off from the rest of the world.
The whole movie was shot on location in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, in remote places. The group used the area’s dense forests, foggy ridgelines, and rough trails to create the creepy atmosphere of the movie. The exact locations where the movie was filmed have not been made public, but it seems that the producers chose less-visited parts of the mountain range to make the characters feel more alone and increase the psychological stress.
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