S Poddar
In “Starve Acre,” Matt Smith gets a role that moves him into a chilling realm of folk horror, making a whole new display of this genre’s tradition of countryside unease. By Daniel Kokotajlo and set in the 1970s, the film forms part of a recent wave of British horror films echoing the unsettling atmospheres evoked in classics like “The Wicker Man” and “The Blood on Satan’s Claw.”
The story revolves around Richard, played by Matt Smith, who relocates his family onto his ancestral farm in Yorkshire. Being an archaeologist, he settles into the old estate with his wife, Juliette, played by Morfydd Clark, and young son Owen, played by Arthur Shaw, to learn more about the property. His late father had a keen interest in the farm’s pagan history, especially that surrounding a supposed ancient oak tree and a mythical wood sprite by the name of “Jack Grey.”
This fantasy of their new house is soon to be shattered. Owen, now acting more and more strangely, says that Jack Grey is trying to communicate with him, sending him evil thoughts. This ominous turn of events marks the beginning of a tale full of mayhem, terror, and mental anguish underlined by the creepy choral aspects of Matthew Herbert’s score.
Meantime, some striking visual and practical effects create an ever-increasing atmosphere for the film. One of the most unsettling moments concerns a rotting hare whose decomposition somehow unwinds, revealing a chilling marriage between practical and digital art. In an attempt to make sense of all the darkness building up around them, Richard investigates his father’s research while Juliette tries to seek support through a local spiritualist.
Matt Smith brings his Richard with a performance both introspective and fraught with tension. He truly has an internal fight with himself, with the physicality and the voice carrying the depth of weariness and vulnerability. Morfydd Clark, who is most probably continuing to explore her fascination with ethereal characters since Galadriel from the “The Lord of the Rings” series, instills Juliette with detached poignancy.
The parental fear and guilt in the film are spiraling, with emotional strain on one’s inability to feel adequate enough as a parent. Richard’s cry of despair-“All we had to do was love him without all the judgment”-pretty much captured the heart of his anguish.
However, as “Starve Acre” achieves great atmosphere and fine performances, the film sometimes relies a bit too much on historical and symbolic imagery. It comes across heavy-handed at times. Much more grounded, Kokotajlo’s prior film “Apostasy” wove its themes with a finer nuance of faith and isolation that’s missing here. At times, “Starve Acre” falters in finding the right balance with its symbolic elements and emotional weight.
For all its flaws, “Starve Acre” concludes with arguably the most striking and unsettling image on screen this year, which at minimum cements it in one’s memory. What ultimately will make “Starve Acre” memorable is its fresh take on folk horror and strong performances, all wrapped up within a taut atmosphere, overall making it an exciting entry into the genre.
“Starve Acre” is playing now in theaters everywhere beginning September 6.
