Lucilla is Commodus’s sister. Although it’s unspoken, she’s completely under his control.

We feel constant dread interacting with the psychopathic ruler (Joaquin Phoenix), and we have no idea what will happen next. Lucilla constantly reacts by seeking control, seeking to tame him, but she knows this is all futile. She knows she’s powerless.

We typically think of horror as blood and a scary monster, but this is horrifying. And we feel it.