Regression

The events unfold in 1990, amid debates over recovered-memory therapy and the era's Satanic Panic. The atmosphere reflects a time of uneasy public fear about ritual abuse and the reliability of memory. The narrative follows weeks of interviews, therapy sessions, and confrontations that shape the case.

Hoyer, Minnesota serves as the quiet Midwestern backdrop where the initial allegations unfold. The close-knit town amplifies fear and rumor as investigators pursue a tangled web of memories and motives. The investigation then shifts to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, highlighting the contrast between a sleepy town and a larger urban setting as clues emerge.

🧠 Memory vs Reality

Recovered-memory therapy is used to retrieve past abuse, but the film shows memories can be unreliable or planted by suggestion. As evidence is questioned, Bruce and Kenneth struggle to distinguish truth from fabrication. The tension reveals how memory can be shaped by therapy, fear, and social pressure.

🕯️ Satanic Panic

Angela's testimony ignites fears of a ritualistic cult, fueling a climate of suspicion. The story uses the era's panicked atmosphere to question whether such rituals actually existed or were a societal fever. The pursuit of the cult becomes a proxy for anxiety and scapegoating.

⚖️ Truth and Guilt

Characters wrestle with what they owe to others and to themselves as guilt shifts between victim, accuser, and family. John's willingness to bear the blame to protect Angela highlights the moral complexities of the case. The film ultimately interrogates who is responsible for the consequences of false memories and accusations.