Mudbrick (2023) review – Atmospheric serbian folk horror that lacks bite

Welcome to Knockout Horror. We are taking a look at another 2023 movie today in the form of Nikola Petrović’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.

Slavic Folk Horror

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.

“This film features a mixed continuity timeline that jumps around all over the place, repeats itself, and keeps you consistently off-base.”

I suppose Mudbrick could best be described as something of a folk horror. Petrović places the focus on an impoverished community living in a small, rural part of Serbia. They appear to have their own religion of sorts. It is also very apparent that the people there are hiding a whole range of secrets. There is 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), whom 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. This film features a mixed continuity timeline that jumps around all over the place, repeats itself, and keeps you consistently off-base.

It’s incredibly slow paced

You wouldn’t think that Mudbrick only clocks in at 87 minutes with how slowly it moves. 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 are wrapped up in the final 15 minutes, but nothing all that satisfying.

“You wouldn’t think that Mudbrick only clocks in at 87 minutes with how slowly it moves. It is in no rush to get anywhere.”

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.

It’s still a watchable film

This is still a decently watchable movie for fans of folk horror. Fans of this sub-genre typically know what to expect. 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 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, too. 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 low-key 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.

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Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

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