A slow burner that generates a genuine atmosphere of dread.

Technically, 'Starve Acre' is a well-crafted film, though the practical animal effects were somewhat lacking. The acting is strong, and the musical score complements the melancholy atmosphere perfectly. The English countryside setting, which I believe is meant to evoke the 1970s, is beautifully captured. As an American, I found the accents a bit challenging, but the performances seemed solid. However, despite the film's technical merits, the pacing is incredibly slow. The first thirty minutes are particularly uneventful, bordering on tedious. While the cinematography and sound design are sublime, the story itself struggles to maintain interest. And let's be honest, the leading man's appearance is... unique. He resembles a cross between an Easter Island statue and a goblin, with prominent ears that are quite distracting. The film feels like a 'nothing burger' until a sudden, bizarre ending arrives. While logically sound, the conclusion feels abrupt and somewhat nonsensical. I suspect the folktale it's based on might offer a more compelling narrative. In summary, 'Starve Acre' is technically impressive but ultimately hampered by its slow pacing and an odd, unsatisfying conclusion. It's an aesthetically pleasing film, but not one that delivers a particularly engaging story.

Slow and creepy vibe. Felt like an old folk tale.

I can’t believe I paid a tenner to watched this. It shocks me how films like this get made. Was so up for a great British horror with Matt smith, thought it was going to be ‘calibre’ vibes. It’s soooooo bad genuinely don’t watch it. Makes no sense and it’s sooo boring.

Maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention but I really didn’t get it.

Slow burn that created gradually creeping dread, with hints of dark rites and ancient pagan evil. Excellent acting and atmosphere, but the abstract and vague story made for an unsatisfying ending. Nonetheless I enjoyed this film overall.

If upsetting folk horror is your thing then 2024's 'Starve Acre' will be right up your street. SYNOPSIS: 'An idyllic rural family life of a couple is thrown into turmoil when their son starts acting out of character.' This film is brilliantly carried by its leads Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark. And based on their history within the genre then you wouldn't expect any less. This is very much the thinking person's horror film as there are metaphors aplenty and the line between pagan folklore and psychodrama is very much blurred. The film is awash in recognisable tropes of the subgenre, and maybe it wallows in the themes of grief and loss a bit too much for this to be an enjoyable experience. It's very much a hard slog in places. 'Starve Acre' is a beautifully dreary, miserable thing that soaks into the bones with its oppressive atmosphere. Tough love at its best. 8/10

This was probably one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. It was all over the place and terrible. Disappointed I wasted my time watching this.

Daniel Kokotajlo directed this British film, which was based on Andrew Michael Hurley's novel of the same title. The film stars Matt Smith, Morfydd Clark, and Erin Richards. The story follows a couple who live in the countryside for fresh air with their young son, who suffers from asthma and dies one day as a result of an asthma attack. The pair then performs a ritual to unleash the dark forces. The film has no horror scenes, and we are not supposed to be scared of an old rabbit skeleton that comes to life or the discovery of ancient tree roots. The movie may entice the viewers with its moderate filmmaking but it has nothing to entertain the audience with its lame content.

I loved the book, so it definitely played in my opinion of the movie adaptation. This movie starts in the good direction, putting efforts in the atmosphere of the horror folk tale genre and building the relationship amongst the members of the family and the coming drama. Sadly, it starts to crumble after the first half hour, slowly getting away, to end up being a vulgar and confusing story, taking out the symbolic and enigmatics of the book, to replace it with a classic cheap satanic cult type of horror story, with clumsy exposition and elements that had nothing to do with the original story, maybe to please the cheap horror movie fans hoping to get their pound of flesh. The book by Andrew Michael Hurley is not a horror book. It's a gothic tale centered around grief. It's deliciously dark, ominous and eerie. It's sad and poetic. This movie tries to explain what shouldn't be and end up even more confusing.

What's clever is how it separates the characters, they go on their own journeys, but then it brings them back together at the end. Good writing, and has a vibe.

This film is laughably awful, so bad that I stayed in my seat rather than leave simply to see if it could get any worse. It could. And it did. Everyone involved ought to be ashamed of themselves and embarrassed about everything, except the location-finder and whoever had a hand in the last 15 seconds. Unconvincing acting, clanking soundtrack, laughable animatronics, implausible events, badly-written dialogue and a generally confusing story-line, this predictable in detail yet incomprehensible overall movie, this apology for a horror film, is a pointless waste of time. (Unless it's all a deliberate tongue-in-cheek con, in which case it's brilliant). The best worst-film I've seen since Blackbird.

Oh dear me. A horror, but not in the sense of if the intended genre. The Hare thing was laughable

Starve Acre weaves together a familiar yet haunting British folk-horror narrative. In it, a man confronts dark, long-buried family secrets amidst the eerie, windswept expanse of the North Yorkshire Moors. The film’s remote setting adds an unsettling layer to the story, amplifying the isolation and creeping dread that define the genre. Morfydd Clark, known for her captivating performance in Saint Maud, once again brings quiet intensity to the screen. As a mother consumed by the devastation of grief, her portrayal is imbued with a nuanced vulnerability. Clark masterfully conveys a deep, simmering sorrow, holding the audience’s gaze as her character teeters between despair and unravelling. Even as the film spirals into a more fantastical—and arguably more chaotic—final act, Clark remains the emotional anchor, giving the film an emotional weight that lingers. On the other hand, Matt Smith takes a bolder approach, with an attempted Yorkshire accent that sometimes distracts from the atmosphere rather than enhances it. His brooding presence, marked by moments of intensity and introspection, is overemphasised by a camera that too often lingers in tight close-ups, almost intruding on the subtlety his performance has conveyed. The film’s eclectic and experimental soundtrack serves as a pulsating undercurrent, heightening tension and disorienting the viewer in all the right moments. It imbues the film with a surreal, dreamlike quality that compliments the folk-horror elements. However, this atmosphere is undermined by introducing a questionable if not laughable animatronic/CGI creature, which feels artificial despite its intended menace and diminishes the immersive experience. What could have been a powerful visual metaphor instead borders on the uncanny, pulling viewers out of the otherwise grounded horror. In the end, Starve Acre offers genuine emotional depth and atmospheric tension moments. Still, it falters when it veers too sharply into surrealism without the visual craftsmanship to back it up.

Piece of dark magic. Gorgeous to look at, and outstanding performances.

I have to confess horror is not really my thing but this seemed over reliant on a noisy soundtrack to try and create some atmosphere. Film makers seem to visit the north of England for particular tropes- gritty drama and folk lore horror as no one can imagine these things in Surrey. I prefer to think of Yorkshire as a place of decent portions and field barns rather than tosh like this. No idea why it was set in the 70s.

The hair styles looked good; Matt Smith looked good with long hair. The plaster shop did a magnificent job of creating buried tree roots. "Bugs" the reconstituted hare, gave the best perfomance in this movie. His twitching nose was most cute. There were some nice wide shots of Yorkshire. However, when a horror film has me nodding off during a matinee performance, it cannot be very exciting...

Great central performances, beautiful cinematography, and a whimsically unsettling score all work to keep the genre flick plot ticking along nicely. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but fans of atmospheric folk horror will probably find enough to like in this one.

Sparse Folk Horror Movie Is Too Beholden to the Classics

I loved the atmosphere and music and it keeps you intrigued