By Emily R. Zarevich, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Here in Burlington, people stream clean, purified water from faucets to wash dishes, take hot showers, make coffee or tea, and prepare food. In the summer, people make ice cubes for their drinks to cool off. But what would the world be like if, one day, there was nothing safe to drink at all?
One year ago today, on July 21, 2025, Aiken Heart Films (in cooperation with Folk Tale and Conquering Lion Pictures) came out with a dystopian thriller that chillingly represents a possible and very imaginable future reality in which nearly all the drinkable water on Earth has vanished. This leads to surviving factions of humans fighting over dangerously limited resources. This film, directed by Hubert Davis, is called The Well.
There is a common occurrence in post-apocalyptic fiction that, unfortunately, reflects real patterns of human history: rather than organize a united front, people divide themselves into exclusionary tribes and form fierce rivalries with other tribes over territory and necessities. That is exactly what happens in The Well. A family consisting of the couple Elisha (Joanne Boland) and Paul (Arnold Pinnock) and their daughter Sarah (Shailyn Pierre-Dixon) is struggling to stay alive in a world where the majority of the water has become infected with a deadly virus. They have created their own enclosed, isolated unit with their own small and usable water supply.
As the world has erupted into violence over whatever water remains, they’ve become reasonably mistrustful of outsiders. When a wandering young man named Jamie (Idrissa Sanogo) claims to be their long-lost family member, they are understandably suspicious and reluctant to share their precious water with him. When their water filter breaks, Sarah and Jamie team up to venture beyond the family homestead and find a replacement part. This leads them to fall into the hands of a band of survivors who have formed a cult, led by the ruthless and egotistic Gabriel (Sheila McCarthy).
The Well was filmed mainly in Hamilton and partially in Burlington. According to an article by TV and film reporter Daniel Nolan, writing for The Hamilton Spectator, many scenes from The Well were shot in the forest off of Lemonville Road under Highway 403. For the twenty days of filming, hikers and bird watchers steered clear so that the production company could use the emptied woods to construct a fictional dystopia.
Burlington has the Burlington Water Purification Plant, located at 3249 Lakeshore Road, which operates to keep the city’s water clean and safe to drink. A film like The Well highlights how humans rely on scientific innovation to maintain access to drinkable water, and that protecting the resource should always be a top priority. There is currently increasing anxiety about the state of the planet’s drinking water. One of the main concerns from protesters regarding AI data centres being built across North America is the vast amount of water that AI data centres consume. There is currently an organized protest against the proposed AI data centre in Hamilton, being closely covered by journalist Justin Chandler for CBC News.
The Well also explores another uncomfortable real-life phenomenon, which is that people become vulnerable to being indoctrinated into cults when they are suffering and desperate. The cult members in the film follow Gabriel because she provides leadership and, therefore, a sense of safety in a world where everyone feels abandoned, forsaken, and hopeless. A charismatic leader offers hope. But the power Gabriel enjoys causes her to develop something of a perilous god complex.
The film’s exploration of cult dynamics also connects with ongoing public interest in understanding how controlling groups form and gain influence. On Wednesday, October 28, 2026, cult researcher and interventionist Mike King is coming to Burlington to discuss the subject of cults and how they come to exist. At 7:30 p.m. at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, King will be delivering a public lecture titled “The Psychology of Cults,” during which he will lead the audience through the history of controlling extremist groups who have had a major societal impact.
The Well is an hour and thirty minutes long. It is available to rent on Amazon Prime. Due to depictions of violence, foul language, and substance abuse, the film has a viewership rating of 16+.
