Unwelcome

Unwelcome

Well this was a strange one, I can't say much otherwise I will let the cat out of the bag, but basically a pregnant couple inherit a house in Ireland only to discover their aunt had an unusual past.

It was a great Irish yarn built upon very little, it was very weird, very quirky, extremely contrived and I am sure I laughed in all the wrong places.

However, even with its incredible script and at times hammy acting it was a very entertaining movies. You know, it was so bad, it was good! With that said much was tongue in cheek anyway.

It's not for everyone, but horror buffs will enjoy this, as did I! I'm giving this a firm 6 outta 10, (Gremlins, Dobby or Star Wars, who knows!)

Strange film, it can't quite make up its mind if it is a home invasion movie or a horror movie or a fantasy creature feature comedy.

When it is horror it is quite good in a gruesome kind of way, when it is a home invasion it is either brutally violent of weirdly bloody funny.

Ridiculous characters, and awfully played? But I guess that was also supposed to be a funny element.

I didn't know what it was beforehand and actually forgot the title, I put Unwanted as the title in my calendar, a Freudian slip maybe?.

It passed the 6 laugh rule to qualify as a comedy at least, even though that was all in the second half.

Fantasy horror is easily hit or miss. This dark fairytale genre works with this if you take it as it is and don't expect more.

Things I really appreciated is just how well the film was shot, the practical effects and the beautiful scenery. It has all the gloss of a well produced film and the acting wasn't bad. The creature designs were interesting, thought out and very practical so the realistic aspect was nice. The scenery shots were beautiful and since it's so well produced, it was captivating. The story wasn't bad as it held my attention, but would have benefited from more discussion about the creatures and their lore.

I found it surprisingly good and I don't have a problem recommending this creature feature for horror fans that like creature, mythological, folklore or fantasy horror. It isn't perfect, but it is worth a watch if you don't take it too seriously.

For about half an hour I was very worried that this film was taking itself way too seriously given the premise. The concept is simply too outlandish for that. Thankfully it surrendered to itself, and a slightly cagey first act gives way to a hugely entertaining final hour.

I won't delve too much into the story as I think going in knowing as little as possible will very much elevate the experience. What I will say is that it is a very predictable but very enjoyable story. When they let rip and ramp up the humour and the action it's a blast.

The performances are all pretty solid. Nothing stand out but they work.

In terms of horror, it isn't particularly scary. I do think that there was potential to make this much scarier and give it more impact, so there is definitely a missed opportunity there.

Compared to other folk horror films I've seen lately such as The Feast or The Witch, this one is much more tongue in cheek. It has more of a Barbarian feel to it and is all the better for it. Sure it is a little laboured at times and easily 10 minutes too long, but it is a really fun watch.

It's not the straightforward horror I thought it was going to be or the one it started off as. Maybe a lot of other people took issue with that. It quickly becomes a beautiful-looking but slightly creepy fairy tale, before becoming a silly, violent black comedy in the end. I loved it all. It is sort of a dark cottagecore fantasy tale and I know that aesthetic is got right now.

The acting and cinematography are great (especially Hannah John-Kamen, who straight kills it), the special effects not so much. Still a very pleasant surprise. I did not think I would be as throughly entertained as I was.