Welcome to Knockout Horror. We are taking a look at another 2023 movie, today, in the form of Nikola Petrovic’s Mudbrick. Much like another movie we checked out, recently; the excellent Red Rooms. Mudbrick is a horror that hit the festival circuit in 2023 before finally getting a wide release in late 2024.
Mudbrick follows the story of Paul (Philip Brodie), a man who has spent the majority of his life living as a successful illustrator in London. When Paul’s father passes away, he heads back to his native Serbia due to inheriting a small mudbrick house and a few acres of farmland. When he gets there, however, he finds himself deep in the middle of a community engaging in cult like, pagan, practices that will reveal hidden secrets about his past.
Slavic Folk Horror
I suppose Mudbrick could best be described as something of a folk horror. Petrovic places the focus on an impoverished community living in a small, rural, part of Serbia. They appear to have their own religion, of sorts, and it is very apparent that the people there are hiding a whole range of secrets. There is, very much, a sense of The Wicker Man about the way this film plays out. Albeit in a much more Slavic manner.
Paul, though originally from this small village, has spent the majority of his life in London. His father consistently praised him to his brother Jakov (Andrew Howard) who he deemed to be inferior. Something which has created no small amount of resentment on Jakov’s part for his estranged sibling. Paul returns to his native home as a stranger. Ill at ease with the customs, suspicious of the people around him and unsure of his place in the world.
It helps to have a little foreknowledge of the folklore behind Mudbrick, namely the Slavic pagan god Veles, before going into the movie. I, however, did not. Making for something of a confusing journey through a mixed continuity timeline that jumps around all over the place, repeats itself and keeps you consistently off base. Mudbrick is a traditional folk horror, in many ways. Light on exposition, steeped in tradition and pre-established lore, full of atmosphere and incredibly slow paced.
Like… Seriously Slow Paced
You wouldn’t think that Mudbrick only clocks in at 87 minutes with how slowly it moves. This is one of those movies that really drags its feet. It is in no rush to get anywhere and, for much of its length, very little happens. Paul, simply, attempts to relate to his relatives, in some way, and tries to finalise some paperwork while Jakov acts cold and unaccommodating. There are a couple of subplots that, ultimately, are wrapped up in the final 15 minutes but nothing all that satisfying.
This wouldn’t be such a problem if the slow, meandering, pace felt fulfilling and satisfying but it really doesn’t. In all honesty, Mudbrick feels fairly dull and a bit boring for the majority of its runtime. It also feels a little uneasy in its skin. I can’t help but feel as though its story of poverty and family feuding doesn’t really fit in this timeline. This feels like a story that would date back to the late 1800s or early to mid 1900s. Not the 2020s. Mudbrick would have been far more fitting as a period piece.
Scares are almost completely absent. There is some small degree of atmosphere and tension and the excellent soundtrack does a nice job of giving the impression that something sinister is going on. But nothing ever feels all that well developed or all that well fleshed out. I have mentioned this with many horror movies in the past but it bears mention again here. This would have been more fitting as a short where we can remove some of the pointless padding and redundant side plots.
Still Fairly Watchable
This is still a decently watchable movie for fans of folk horror. Fans of this sub-genre, typically, know what to expect and the slow pace and lack of exposition won’t be a problem to them. With that being said, Mudbrick never really opens up to some terrifying story of an atypical society corrupt from the top to the bottom. Ritualistically committing horrifying acts and acting together to deceive outsiders and authorities alike. While it does contain those elements, it all feels as though it is on a much smaller, less significant, less impactful, and less interesting, scale.
If you have a high degree of tolerance for rather formulaic stories and enjoy non-linear timelines and bizarre continuity, there is something here for you. Slavic folklore seems very interesting and there is plenty of meat on the whole “pagan cult” bone but Mudbrick just doesn’t seem to manage to get much off of it. It feels as though you have to work quite hard to get to the horror.
On the plus side, I enjoyed the cinematography and the less common 1.85:1 aspect ratio. This is a nice looking movie with some great shots and a very lowkey aesthetic. Something which adds nicely to the folk horror vibe. Acting is excellent and both Andrew Howard and Philip Brodie do a very nice job. Runtime is a big bonus, given the overall slow pace of the story. Any longer than 87 minutes and I think it would have been asking far too much of the viewer.
Should You Watch Mudbrick?
I think that Mudbrick will only be seriously enjoyed by those who are huge fans of folk horror, pagan cult stories, and slow moving films. There just isn’t a huge deal here to recommend to the average horror fan. It is very slow paced, features a fair amount of padding and a bunch of relatively dull side stories that don’t contribute a whole bunch to the overall plot. Acting is great and the movie looks very nice in an understated sort of way but there is just too little to grab onto to make it a solid horror choice.
