Shepherd

First of all, I'm a horror film fan. The scarier, bloodier and crazier the better. That's not to say I have unsophisticated taste, though. I absolutely loved this movie. It's not "scary" scary, or bloody. It's not particularly crazy either. This isn't a cheap looking home movie, like some low budget flicks out there. It had a Hitchcock style vibe to it (think Vertigo) that drew me in from the beginning. I usually hate dream sequences as a cheap plot device, but here it's really hard to tell what's a dream, a fantasy, or reality. The atmosphere of a foggy, cold island with the creepy sheep and bell from the lighthouse take you on a journey of psychological horror. This is a very well done, well acted movie. I highly recommend this for a more mature audience. It's not a popcorn horror movie, which is actually nice for a change.

After his adulterous wife dies in an accident, a grieving husband decides to take a job shepherding sheep on a remote island nearby to process the situation only to be tormented by a seemingly malicious spirit intent on unearthing a hidden truth about the incident.

Overall, there's not much to this one. The fact that it manages to evoke a mysterious and generally eerie atmosphere here is about all that works as this one generates some impressive atmosphere due to the situation. The sense of isolation here with his physically being stranded on the remote island as well as mentally with the ghosts of his past rendering him incapable of anything other than taking a job on this island offers a fantastic building block to work The supernatural sequences off of. From strange behaviors by his dog forcing him to look around the house, eerie bowling in the distance that no one else can respond to or the strange discoveries around the island he keeps making, this one manages an effectively chilling scenario that may or may not be in his mind. However, while this creates a fantastic starting point the film never does much else with it. That's due to the dreary and depressing tone that carries on throughout here as the quiet, slow-burn setup keeps the overt scares away in favor of a more unnerving series of psychological mind games involving a person not ready to accept their fate. This offers up a highly puzzling setup that might not work for most out there which gets this one off to a rather underwhelming beginning point. Less troublesome but also detrimental is the somewhat overlong running time for this kind of genre effort which does make this one somewhat of a challenge to get through. Otherwise, these are the only flaws here.

Rated R: Violence and Language.

Shepherd is a quiet focused film on the tragedy and grief of a man (and his dog) who leaves his home taking residence on an isolated island to tend to sheep. He's mourning the death of his wife, but given the reticence of this character, all we know is that she died. The woman who instructs him on his duties, and who will bring supplies, takes on a meancing nature as the lead starts his descent into isolation reacrion. Is it psychosis or supernatural? The film continues with elements increasing in their bizarre nature and displays some surreal visions. At the end, we find one piece of the puzzle from the lead character, helping to have some satisfaction at the end without full clarity given.

Tom Hughes does well in carrying this film as he is largely alone on screen. He portrays the numbness of grief expertly, and he manages a realistic depiction of that descent into Hell or madness without falling into stereotypical behaviors or characterizations. His performance makes the resolution and uncertainty credible for the film's end.

From the very first frame, this movie oozes atmosphere. It seems effortless, but the people responsible for this movie want you to believe it is. But everything is so meticulously crafted, you start to wonder if any of it was really deliberate or if these people just got lucky. I mean, horror isn't exactly the first genre you think of when you think of movies being an art form, is it?

As a huge stickler for cinematography, I truly believe that even the lamest, most boring film is made infinitely better if it is pretty to look at. This movie movie not only delivered, but exceeded all of my (albeit, low) expectations. Every single frame of this movie could stand alone as a framed photograph in an art exhibition, and it's not just the expansive shots of the various parts of Scotland and Wales that made it a joy to watch, it was also the way the camera itself was used to frame what transpired on screen. In ugly movies, the camera just sits there with no semblance of coordination or even a passing understanding of visual aesthetic (B-movies are the prime example of that). This movie felt like the whole visual team worked as a cohesive whole that understood that camera placement, framing and positioning are just as important at conveying what is going on in a given scene as the action itself. There aren't many horror films that do this effectively, and the ones that do are few and far between (The Witch, Hereditary,& Midsommar to name a few). This was just a breathtaking movie to watch for me, personally, and the visual team should be commended and given raises for the work they did on this film.

That being said, the movie itself, while incredibly atmospheric and creepy as all get out, could have done more to push the boundaries of the story it was trying to tell. I felt that things could have gone further with the reasoning behind the actions taking place, but so much of it was left to ambiguity that it made for a less than satisfying ending. I wanted more of a definitive end to the story instead of one that was left to the imagination.

The acting was stupendous, the score was effective and nerve wracking, and the length of the film was just right, telling an interesting story with a good pace for the duration of the film. Overall, I am thoroughly impressed by this film and while 2022 just started, it's one of the better films I've seen so far. I eagerly await this directors next film, and if this one is any indication, it can only get better from here.

I was pleasantly surprised by this film since I did not go in expecting much due to the low ratings and negative reviews.

If you like old-style, cerebral, slow-building horror I urge you to give this film a look. The cinematography is luscious, the location is stark and beautiful (Scottish Hebrides) and the acting is great. The imagery is profound.

No, it isn't a thrill-a-minute scare-fest but it is a worthy well-crafted film.

Give it a shot.