A Curious Tale

If you're looking for a film to take you right back to the late seventies and those dark Tales of the Unexpected, this will hit the spot.

Don't expect Hollywood acting, but it does have a local charm all of its own and there are some stunning Sussex coastline shots with Leigh Tarrant's cinematography. For fans of Birling Gap and the iconic coastguard cottages, this has generous helpings of suspense and spine chilling scenes of dark horror.

It's the timeless story of what happens when an aging rock star digs too far into the past in search of buried treasure that nurses its own curse in a throw back to ancient Sussex folklore.

Cameo roles from Neill McKenzie as the antiques shop owner and Simon Mallin as the vicar and have a charm all of their own and Amanda Dann turns in a convincing performance as the Farm Girl. Paul Brandis as the fellow hotel guest is worth a watch.

Written and directed in Covid times, for a first film, this is pretty impressive.

Light the fire, put on the crumpets and get the steaming hot chocolate in, this is just the job to liven up a dreary winter's afternoon. It's an intriguing tale, told well.

'A curious tale' will keep the spectator indeed very curious, right from the start of the film, all the way through. The Oscar goes to every actor and most of all to the director Leigh Tarrant for taking the time to create this brilliant film. Mysterious, fascinating, authentic!

Glad I managed to get a copy of the DVD!

I have only recently come across the term Folk Horror, but A Curious Tale would no doubt belong to this genre of film. Based on local folklore and filmed in the glorious English countryside, director Leigh Tarrant has an eye for capturing the beauty of the rural locations, whilst at the same time creating an atmosphere that wants you to get back to the big city as soon as possible.

Some good character actors portraying a story of death and hidden treasure, this is less than an hour in length, so no sense of drag. Because of this it has the feel of one the classic Hammer House of Horror stories or Tales of the Unexpected.

I won't give anything else away, suffice to say some treasure should stay buried!

I am very interested in films and television shows that have a tale to tell that is something out of the ordinary; therefore, this particular film trailer is definitely of interest to me. The historical themes in the trailer portray a very mysterious and dark vibe; and the sepia and black & white filters only benefit this further, overall creating an intriguing ghost story. The trailer has a realistic element to it which captivates the viewer and lots of familiar locations from Sussex that I have visited before myself. I can't wait to see the full length feature.

At times spooky, unsettling and intriguing, a Curious Tale is a great indepedent short film looking into Sussex folklore. If you like Midsummer murders, Jonathan Creek, or have an interest in forgotten English history then you will love this. The beautiful original score was a personal highlight.