Starve Acre

When their young son dies a couple's lives are thrown into turmoil and things at their rural home start to get very weird. Some reviewers insist that this is not a horror movie but they are mistaken, Starve Acre is a British folk horror movie. Unfortunately it is not a good one. I will start with the positives - Matt Smith is a very versatile actor and again delivers a good performance. In fact the whole cast are good. I liked the 1970's period setting, the clothes, the old vehicles etc. And I thought that the rural Yorkshire location at times gave off a strong feeling of isolation and bleakness at times. What I did not like was the fact that it felt so slow. There are a couple of small jump scares and the odd feeling of dread but I am not lying when I say that I found my eyes closing numerous times when i saw this last night at my local independent cinema. The struggle to stay awake got harder and harder as it went on, if you suffer from insomnia then watching this at home may well cure you. Then there is a very fake looking hare that becomes central to the plot. I will not give away the ending but there were people laughing out loudly (which I found to be quite disrespectful) in the audience. Britain has produced some fine folk horror movies but this entry is sadly near the bottom of the barrel n terms of quality, quite disappointing.

Writer-director Daniel Kokotajlo has taken a stab at the folk horror genre in his sophomore feature, Starve Acre.

A slow paced tale about how a local legend starts to influence- and take over- the personality of a young boy, that is being raised in this rural setting.

Though, much like we saw previously, in Run Rabbit Run...it's moreso about the psychological affect this change has on his parents...as opposed to the child, himself.

How they, as the one's who are supposed to offer their child unconditional love, are forced to cope with the ordeal that has become the focal point of their, and their child's, life.

As their son becomes increasingly disconnected, and violent.

While claiming to have formed a relationship with an "imaginary" character, from a local folk tale, central to their idyllic little town's lore.

Before succumbing to an asthma attack.

Obviously, dealing with such a situation starts to have an effect on their individual mental health.

On top of their relationship with one another, and the other people in their lives.

Which is precisely what Kokotajlo has set out to explore in this film.

Though, in typical folk horror fashion, things start to take a turn in a wildly different direction.

And start to get weird.

As we learn how what we've been watching unfold, connects back to the land...and their family's ties to it.

As what ensues becomes increasingly more vicious.

Despite the creepily alluring atmosphere that permeates the film...it seems to have rubbed many viewers the wrong way.

Which is, no doubt, a result of it's convoluted plot structure...and the way the film ends.

As it concludes on both a bizarre, and slightly confounding, note.

Which requires that you had paid rather close attention to it's more subtle elements, in order to garner a proper understanding of it.

And truly appreciate it, for what it is.

I rather enjoyed it.

But completely understand why many have taken issue with it, at the same time.

While not perfect...it's a solid little folk horror, that takes it's place alongside titles like The Whicker Man and The VVitch.

Even if it's not quite as laudable as those examples.

If you are a fan of the folk horror genre...this is likely going to be up your alley.

However, if you aren't as acclimated and familiar with this type of film, you might want to pass it by.

I certainly enjoyed it, though.

And must admit...it kept me intrigued, throughout.

6 out of 10.

In my opinion a 5.3 score for this film is a very harsh score. Yes it's not a fast paced Hollywood slasher horror movie, it's a slow paced moving film. The beautiful setting in the English countryside, the century old house, the green hills, it all contributes to the weight of the story. The cast is doing an excellent job in conveying the really deep twisted message the director is trying to tell. But most of all, what really took me by surprise, was the sheer originality of the story. Fair to say by the end my jaw was on the floor, with the brutal ending and the realization of what had just happend.

As a fan of folk horror, small-production films, and Matt Smith & Morfydd Clark, I admit I might have had too high expectations. Especially since it took two years between the first limited release and the wide release on streaming platforms, the sheer anticipation raised my hopes even more.

With all that in mind, I still feel the film missed its potential because the thing with small production is that it relies on atmosphere-building and a good storyline. And both of those aspects could have been better.

For instance, regarding the atmosphere, I think they succeeded in portraying grief as raw, lasting, and sometimes merged with magical thinking and anger. Sometimes, it's bearable, and the characters even manage to squeeze a smile and get excited about things they work on or even an unexpected family visit. The grief is ever-present but fluctuating in intensity, which feels realistic, unlike Hollywood cliches that tend to go over the top. However, the film lacks in creating suspense due to the pacing and some scenes that feel disjointed. When you think it will pick up and elevate the tension, it moves to another scene.

Which brings us to another issue of storytelling. While the overall idea is good, the film would have benefited from a more developed lore. You quickly learn there is a lot at stake, but they never tell you why, and it somewhat obscures the characters' motivations. Without knowing more about mythology, we fail to see the appeal and the temptation of some choices they make. For this reason, I believe it was challenging to wrap up the film in a satisfactory way, and they chose a tried and "safe" route instead. In theory, it could have worked great, but in practice, it feels stretched and even forced at some times.

The problems might have roots in the original material - Andrew Michael Hurley's book of the same name, as some works of literature are untranslatable to movie screen. Or perhaps the author failed to develop the mythology sufficiently, so the movie crew did not have much to work with. I still haven't read it but intend to, which means that, despite its shortcomings, the film succeeded in provoking some curiosity. And if you drop your expectations - which, sadly, was impossible for me - it may work even better, who knows?

After watching this film I know what it's like to drown in molasses. I honestly wanted to like this, I love a good folk-horror movie. But it soon became clear that this wasn't good at all. Sure, the actors tried their hardest and I give them credit for that. But they were fighting against the current and it eventually overwhelmed them. I have nothing at all against slow films, I love Last Year At Marienbad but there's a real art involved in holding the viewer's attention at such a pace. You risk sending an audience to sleep if you do it badly. And that's the result here. 4 points for the effort..