User reviews

Hmm, contributed ( although meagerly) to this project, and I must admit I had hoped for a slightly better outcome. I felt a bit underwhelmed by this as opposed to Lord of Tears, which was a superior film in my opinion. The same sense of desolation and hopelessness is definitely present, but what is lacking here is the intangible sense of dread. When you choose to display the enemy so frequently, much of the uncanny and the creepy loose its impact, I felt there was such an over-saturation of the raven-men, that it became boring. In Lord Of Tears, the creature was used sparingly, appearing now and then to utter prophecies of doom, but here the raven- men is used to so such an effect that they almost cancel themselves out as figments of horror and madness and instead becoming mere men in beaked costumes. Which of course diminishes greatly the alternate reality you are supposed to be swept up in as a viewer. But all in all, compared to the soulless dreck being released with the label of horror these days, this film is without a doubt a work of passion for horror, and despite the flaws, I suggest you check it out. And whenever Mr. Brewster has a new project, you should support it, there is always room for improvement.

A horrible pastiche of too many other films and books.

At the core, it's a cross between The Spirals of Danu and The Warhammer novel "The Unkindness of Ravens", but without the mythos or sophistication.

Clunky dialogue and mile-wide-plot-holes make this boring by the numbers "horror" (and I use that term advisedly) one to avoid.

Have you seen The Birds and First Blood, original avian terror and disgruntled war vet films. Then there's nothing new here as with all films today, same old same old. But half an hour waiting for something other than characterization or scenic ambiance is too much. be warned the great reviews seem to be those who invested in this, I'd rather watch aforementioned or Alien / Predator / Terminator for the umpteenth time, anything with a new slant.

The Unkindness of Ravens wastes no time in delivering the viewer into the world of PTSD-suffering Andrew. At the urging of his therapist, Andrew retreats to a remote cottage in the wilderness of Scotland to face his demons - both the unshakeable memories of wartime atrocities, and the phantasmic cult of raven-men that haunt his every waking moment. An unhealthy dose of isolation and survivors guilt make Andrew quick fodder for his avian tormentors, as well as his own incriminating reflection. Playing out like an extended Jacob's Ladder type nightmare, the film sends Andrew through a gauntlet of terrors as we learn about the events which brought him to his fragile mental state.

Shy on dialog, Jamie Scott Gordon bares a heavy load, carrying the film as virtually its sole character. Jamie is fearless in his raw emotion and empathetic in his suffering. Lawrie Brewster's film is heavy with mood, yet economic and precise with its storytelling; starting from a gloomy foundation and only building from there.

Masterful cinematography and visual effects work by Gavin Robertson and Michael Brewster paint scene after scene of dire circumstances splayed across stark, barren landscapes, and dilapidated architectures. Joseph Ruddleston's score and Sarah Daly's sound design are perfect complements, adding an impactful voice to Andrew's distress.

This film offers great visual effects, make up and filming locations but the story telling and script are really bad and disjointed with gore and violence thrown in without thought. The actor is good and believable but unfortunately I couldnt help feeling I had wasted an 1.25 hours of my life .

I did like Lord of Tears and gave it 6 out of 10 but there is simply no comparison with The Unkindness of Ravens. Lord of Tears showed potential but the latest movie to come from director Lawrie Brewster shows that he got his act together with the issues that film had.

The acting is utterly intense and the pace is insane especially in the last half. I don't think I've actually seen an indie horror put someone through so such hell since perhaps A Serbian Film! I'd compare The Unkindness of Ravens to The Evil Dead with parts reminding me of Phantasm. If that doesn't make much sense it's because there is not many films as strange as this.

Some of the scenes are graphic and at times I had to look away as I have a thing about eyes... and so does this movie. It also made me feel for the character and the problems are vets come home with. You really care for him. Most important for me was that it didn't have a cop out ending - but an epic finale, won't say more than that.

Another plus is that they got the guy from Lord of Tears with the beard who I thought was really good.

Lord of Tears had me on the fence, but The Unkindness of Ravens seals the deal.

A well done independent movie, beautifully shot in the Scottish Highlands, that blends the horrors of PTSD with the fascinating Celtic legend of the "raven warriors". Atmospheric and unsettling, with its low budget only revealed with some dodgy CGI.

WARNING: This is an original horror tale, there is nothing out there like this. If original is what you want then look no further.

Great stuff from Lawrie and Sarah again in creating a weird and twisted tale that takes you on psychological journey into the human mind after a horrific traumatic event.

Jamie Scott Gordon's performance plus the eerie location and the wonderful soundtrack elevate this film to another level.

Lord Of Tears and The Undkindness Of Ravens take me back to my youth of old British Horror movies which i am an avid fan of. Two different types of Horror, the first creepy and unsettling and the latter based on the character's personal demons and fears. Both equally effective in playing with your mind.

Can't wait for the next project from these guys.

I knew what to expect, having seen teaser trailers of this film on the Kickstarter page, to which l pledged my money and got my frights. I also did the same with these guys first film "Lord Of Tears" and second time around they have really notched up the terror tenfold. The images come thick and fast like a nightmare you cannot wake from, and the unease that pervades the whole film is testament to the craft and skill of Lawrie and Sarah in the choice of actors and brilliant script, and the settings, costumes and effects all add to the feeling of doom they were surely going for. The ravens morph into man-sized denizens of evil and torment our hero almost to death. I do not want to give anything away in case some people have not seen this and want to (l highly recommend you do by the way) but suffice it to say it was the most unsettling film l have seen all year, and will ever see l think. Fans of good psychological horror films will love this and rightly so. It is a tour-de-force, and l cannot wait for film 3 from Hex Media.

My copy of The Unkindness of Ravens arrived yesterday and I watched it that night. It's a film I've waited about a year to arrive, since supporting it on Kickstarter. Expectations were high... But I can say without a doubt that this is the most disturbing and intense indie horror film I've seen for years.

It follows an ex-soldier who tries to take time out from his personal demons by taking off to live in the wilderness. As you can imagine he doesn't quite escape them. These demons reveal themselves as Ravens and at times as Raven headed warriors which can best be compared to something like the Cenobites from Hellraiser or demons from medieval art.

I'm not ashamed to admit there were scenes that brought a tear to my eye. It's not often that you watch a horror movie that makes you feel so much for the character and makes you root so hard for him to win. This is because the character deals with mental issues that affect real people.

Compared to Lord of Tears this has a different tone, it's more like The Wicker Man than a haunted house movie, but for my money that makes it a far far superior movie, with big improvements to the acting and writing. There is a huge talent behind Lord of Tears and The Unkindness of Ravens which is missing from the industry today and I can't wait to see what Laurie Brewster and Sarah Daly make next.

After watching and loving "Lord of Tears" I couldn't wait for Hex Studios & Hex Media's next project and I am not disappointed. The acting is superb, the visuals are high quality and the story line is powerful and gut wrenching. One of the best depictions of the horror of war and the horrific impact it has on a veteran with PTSD. Not to be missed.

Really tense build up (with a pretty accurate depiction of PTSD) culminating in an all out gore fest. Really enjoyed it! With the Raven dudes being just about the creepiest things I've ever seen!

What amazes me about director Lawrie Brewster is how he can produce such unsettling and downright unnerving images from his basic settings and simple make up effects..I love the gothic style and darkness throughout.

I really was absorbed by the main characters journey and what he had been through during his war years and how it all still haunted him and how he could fix himself by his seclusion and still the nightmare he had to go through.

I was not as creeped out by this movie as i was with Brewster's previous Lord of Tears film but this one was ramped up to 10 with the disturbing images and more gruesome in tone. With the abundance of horror movies released each year Lawrie Brewster seems to be able to come up with something unique and unlike anything i have seen before.

An independent movie with a phenomenal story that sucks you in. I first heard of Hex Media from 'Lord of Tears' and was blown away by quality of the movie. If you are looking for a horror movie with a plot that will have you in suspense from one moment to the next, then this is the movie for you.

The Unkindness of Ravens is an incredibly powerful and at times uncomfortable piece of filmmaking. Jamie Scott-Gordon's performance as traumatised Afghan war veteran Andrew is truly remarkable and will carry you through an emotional meat grinder as the former soldier fights back against the PTSD demons that manifest as the ravens. His flashbacks to the Afghan desert (shot at Scotland's Tentsmuir Beach, believe it or not) are both gruesome and disturbing, while the soldiers' scenes in the dimension of the Raven Warriors are really quite harrowing. Something between 17th Century plague doctor and Samurai, the Raven Warriors' costume design is every bit as iconic as that of the Owlman from director Lawrie Brewster's previous movie Lord of Tears. While Brewster and co-writer Sarah Daly's horror debut was clearly influenced by Hammer and British haunted house classics like Jack Clayton's The Innocents (1961), The Unkindness of Ravens owes more to Brit folk horror shockers like The Wicker Man (1973) and Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1981), with perhaps a hint of the iconography of the Forbidden Zone from Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) and the violent emotional intensity of Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs (1971).

As with Lord of Tears Michael Brewster's cinematography of the Scottish Highlands is both atmospheric and achingly beautiful, while Sarah Daly's sound design and the musical score by Andy McDonald and Yousef Khalil reinforce the moody aura of Celtic mystery derived from Brewster and Daly's meticulously detailed background mythology..It's rare for a horror movie to highlight a social issue, but The Unkindness of Ravens bravely takes on and illustrates some of the issues faced by British servicemen traumatised by the horrors witnessed on active duty. Innovative, disturbing and very, very scary The Unkindness of Ravens is far from your usual horror movie and so much more powerful for that. Brewster and Daly are carving out a truly unique niche for themselves in the UK filmmaking community, one that promises to bear the most original and delicious fruit in the future.