There's a long and rich history of nerve-fraying folk horror in British cinema. From Witchfinder General to The Wicker Man, and A Field In England to small-screen offerings like recent Doctor Who chiller '73 Yards', these isles have proven perpetually fertile ground for tales of eldritch terror. And into that canon is about to come writer-director Daniel Kokotajlo's (Apostasy) Starve Acre. An adaptation of Andrew Michael Hurly's same-named novel, the film sees Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark star as a couple whose rural family bliss is disrupted when their son begins acting very strangely. Check out the atmospheric trailer for the movie below:
With its folk legends of 'Dandelion Jack', candlelit séances, creepy kids, reanimated rabbits, and grim-faced stars, the rain-lashed and mud-strewn Starve Acre looks like it'll be right at home amongst its rural horror peers. Here's the official synopsis, offering some tantalising clues as to what's going on: "In rural Yorkshire in the 1970s, Richard (Smith) and Juliette Willoughby’s (Clark) seemingly idyllic family life is thrown into turmoil when their young son Owen starts acting out of character. A sudden, tragic event brings grief and drives a wedge between the once happy couple. At Starve Acre, their remote family home, academic archaeologist Richard buries himself in exploring a folkloric myth that the ancient oak tree that once stood on their land is imbued with phenomenal powers. While Juliette turns to the local community to find some kind of peace, Richard obsessively digs deeper. An unexpected discovery soon occupies the couple’s attention and dark and sinister forces, unwittingly allowed into their home, offer a disturbing possibility of reconnection between them."
Honestly though, why do none of these families ever just up sticks and move to the city? There's at least slightly less chance of unearthing dormant evil when you're raiding the reduced to clear at the big Tesco. Horror fans will surely get a kick out of seeing Morfydd Clark — soon to be found getting her Galadriel on once more in The Rings Of Power Season 2 — returning to the genre following her star-making turn in Saint Maud. Check out the hauntingly beautiful poster that came along with the new trailer:
Starve Acre is set to release in UK and Irish cinemas on 6 September. In the meantime, we're off to pour some salt circles and stock up on crucifixes... better safe than sorry!