Daniel Kokotajlo’s “Starve Acre”
Starve Acre (2023) - Daniel Kokotajlo, United Kingdom
“ It is an unapologetically supernatural folk horror with a rich atmosphere and great performances…”
★★★★½
Very British and 100 proof folk horror, Daniel Kokotajlo's Starve Acre (based on Andrew Michael Hurley’s novel of the same name) evokes an atmosphere of unease not a million miles from his debut Apostasy. Telling the story of the Willoughbys, mother Juliette (Morfydd Clark), Richard (Matt Smith) and their son Owen (Arthur Shaw) who have moved from the city to the Yorkshire countryside where Richard grew up. Things take a turn when troubling events around Owen occur echoing elements of Richard's own troubled childhood.
Based on the 2019 book of the same name by Andrew Michael Hurley, Kokotajlo is efficient in only keeping what is necessary to tell the story though there are a couple moments that feel a bit jarring and one particlar bit of action left off screen seems an odd choice. Overall, the story is rich and well told avoiding too much exposition so these are forgivable though perhaps not what most audiences are accustomed to seeing.
The atmosphere evoked in the film is palpable, gritty and immersive. It has the raw feel of 1970s cinema which serves the unsettling subject matter well. Representations of rural Yorkshire are authentic. The cold and mud feel immediate.
In terms of effects, Starve Acre is one of the few films to make use of the uncanny in a positive way where a particularly disturbing practical effect in a not quite right hare which gives The Witch's Black Phillip a run for his money.
At first, I had concerns regarding Matt Smith’s casting but he turns out to be an inspired choice putting in a strong and understated performance. Likewise, Morfydd Clark continues to impress with each performance having its own soul. Interestingly, on the two occasions I’ve managed to meet her, she’s mentioned that she approaches characters such as Juliette here or Maud in Saint Maud from a position of optimism; these characters are confident in their own way that they’ll make it through the horrors. In addition, supporting parts from Erin Richards, Robert Emms, Sean Gilder and Melanie Kilburn are terrific. As the film leans toward telling its story visually, nuanced performances are vital to the film working.
Overall, I heartily enjoyed the film as a fresh and welcome addition to British folk horror though it does require the audience to fully engage and put aside expectations. Prior to the screening I viewed, Kokotajlo made it clear this is not an all out, in your face horror, but a mood piece more akin to BBC’s Play for Today. He cited films like Whistle and I’ll Come to You, Nigel Kneale’s TV film Murrain, and Jan Svakmajer’s Alice as some of the inspirations for the film. It is an unapologetically supernatural folk horror with a rich atmosphere and great performances that deserves its place in the pantheon of great British folk horror.
