Il signore del disordine

Any comparison to "The Wicker Man" is in passing; ie a small village seemingly trapped in the past that believes in a folklore legend. That is it.

Someone called this "amateurish". Well as an avid film watcher, former pro actor, and a vet of the biz I can point to a half dozen or more "films" that were shot by apparent teenagers that managed to get distributed via VOD, or before that, VHS. (Actually I am doing a disservice to teenage movie makers as I was once one and made better films than some of the crap I have seen professionally presented!!)

This is an engaging movie that keeps your interest from start to finish. No one phones in a performance and the script, while it does level a bit in the middle, provides enough twists to make this very worth your watching while.

If you ever seen a horror movie, the chances are you know from the start where all this is going. And there will be no surprises.

So the main problem of this movie is the plot, its based on classic folklore stories and follows the path that so many movies (or even child stories) have shown before. Which might be good... but it does not exceed any expectation.

So some might call it a classic, some might call it a cliche. Either way, its not unique, its not new, even the creature - I saw it in dozen other movies, and I can name multiple where its simply executed better ("The Ritual", for example).

In other terms, it is mediocre. Characters are not very likable or believable. The motivation of the antagonist (for example) and his image - I believe they are severly lacking any originality or style, they are so superficial it hurts.

Ending is simply weak - culmination is unsatisfying. It is simple (which is good sometimes), but it ain't smart or fulfilling, or entertaining in this case.

So I'd say the score I've given in generous. It's a mediocre movie. Some might say its okay, some might say its bad, but there is no basis to call it great - that is for sure.

I see multiple ways this could've been a better movie (just add a single thing that isn't a trope), but it is obvious that nobody bothered here to create something new or unique, this is just same old same old once again.

In 2023's Lord of Misrule we are introduced to a woman who moves to a small rural English village to take over the church. After the villagers celebrate the Winter Festival, her young daughter suddenly disappears and therefore her search for her missing daughter begins.

The movie is a pagan horror story with a suspenseful atmosphere and some mysterious characters. But sadly the movie mostly falls into some generic plot lines and has no outstanding strengths. There's not much special to talk about that the movie could use to separate itself from the masses. It is directed by William Brent Bell who directed quite a few horror movies before ranging from pretty good to pretty bad and I think this one just walks the line of being average. It's not terrible but also not great either and the movies biggest strength is probably the casting of Ralph Ineson as one of the villagers. However I did like the ending and therefore I overall don't regret watching this. [5,2/10]

We have a vicar who rarely acts very religious (except in church) and drops F-bombs casually on multiple occasions. Her spouse seems like a bitter atheist and will not pray with her. I mean, they seem more like an average mismatched couple - one theistic, one not - than AN ACTUAL VICAR OF A CHURCH and her husband.

People get angry and then calm down within seconds. They don't have much respect for the vicar and treat her more like a random crazy woman than anything else. The children even start chanting in a vulgar way, gleefully, without a hint of fear or embarrassment at acting that way in front a church pastor.

I feel like Lord of Misrule is a patchwork attempt to mimic other, older horror movies. Like mixing 1970s The Wicker Man with 2000s Silent Hill and a random urinating scene like the original version of The Exorcist.

Lord of Misrule does have atmosphere and lovely folk horror aesthetics yet the writing and character development are significantly wanting.

I recently watched the Irish/UK 🇮🇪 🇬🇧 film Lord of Misrule (2023) on Hulu. The storyline follows a minister and his daughter as they move to a seemingly welcoming village. It appears to be the perfect home for their small family-until the daughter goes missing. As the search unfolds, it becomes clear the village may have darker intentions.

Directed by William Brent Bell (Orphan: First Kill), the film stars Tuppence Middleton (Possessor), Ralph Ineson (The Witch), and Robert Goodman (Gangs of New York).

This was an uneven film with some interesting elements. The concept had potential, evoking vibes of The Ritual and Hereditary at times. The festival backdrop and costumes were visually engaging, and the film maintained a mysterious atmosphere throughout. However, the storytelling dragged in places, making it easy to lose interest. The acting felt authentic, and there was an unexpectedly great "peeing" scene. The creature design was well done, and the ending twist was solid.

In conclusion, Lord of Misrule has enough intriguing elements to keep your attention but struggles with pacing. I'd score it a 5.5/10.