Welcome to Knockout Horror. Folk horror is weird, right? We all know that, trippy visuals, uncomfortably odd characters, and bizarre plots are, typically, the order of the day when it comes to this sub-genre. Today’s movie, Starve Acre, might be one of the strangest.
It follows the story of a young family who are living on the childhood farm of the family’s patriarch, Richard (Mat Smith). The couple’s son, Owen (Arthur Shaw), claims to have heard whistling at night and has begun acting strangely. Having heard legends of a mystical tree located somewhere on the property. And wondering if there is some connection between it and his son’s out of character behaviour. Richard begins searching for the tree’s roots but finds much more than he could have imagined.
A Throwback to Another Era
Starve Acre is a real throwback to a certain time in British horror where folk tales, strangeness, and a foreboding sense of unease ruled. Going into this film, it is immediately clear where its inspirations lie. Starve Acre wears its Wicker Man and Omen style clothing like a badge of honour. Rarely has a modern horror felt so fitting of the BFI Films label. This movie feels like it could have come straight out of the 70s and that is, obviously, exactly what director Daniel Kokotajlo is going for.
Filmed on, what appears to be, actual movie making equipment of the era. A heavy grain coats every scene of period accurate nostalgia. You can almost feel the imposing presence of bell bottom jeans, vinyl record players, over sized headphones and an abundance of beige furniture. This is every bit the loving tribute to 60s and 70s British horror.
It is, also, a fairly interesting take on an increasingly popular type of genre theme. Folk horror has undergone a bit of a resurgence as of late, predominantly due to Midsommar and the uber popular The Witch. But Kokotailo wants to eschew that cleanness and sanitisation for a more dirty, rough, and accurate nod to the decades that popularised it. This is folk horror how your Grandparents remember it.
And Herein Lies the Problem
This is exactly what will divide viewers of Starve Acre. It looks old and it feels old. This is the type of movie that wants you to watch a few times to really “get it”. It wants you to keep an eye on the minor details so that you understand the bigger ones. And it wants you to do all of that while sitting through something that can only be described as being fairly glacial. This is an incredibly slow moving movie. Sure, in the 60s and 70s, this was common place. But we live in the age of the internet, TikTok, fast food and instant access gratification.
For a generation that was fairly used to having to sit through protracted, and pointlessly long, adult movies just to get their rocks off. Or, even worse, having to whip out the Mills and Boon novels. Paying attention to a slow paced horror movie with minimal story progression and limited character development. Just to get to one scene that could best be described as “strange” really wasn’t that big of a deal.
Today’s generation ain’t all about that. Midsommar was long and “weird”. But Ari Aster had the sense to keep feeding the Gen Z members of the audience with violent kills and the occasional shocking bit of nudity to keep them invested. Starve Acre does none of that and it will suffer for it. This is violently slow paced. There is little in the way of story and nothing in the way of action. Stuff happens and that is about it. You are expected to sit, watch, and wait.
Still a Decent Movie
If you go in with your expectations set, then this is still a very good movie. Especially by folk horror standards. As mentioned, earlier, this feels like a flick pulled right out of the 70s and if that is your jam then you will love it. Kokotailo has tapped into elements from many horror movies of the era. Meaning you will see things in here that remind you of films like Rosemary’s Baby and the like but it all works pretty well and feels quite welcome. Time has done a nice job of erasing the sense of overfamiliarity that this style can invoke.
The story is slow burning but fairly compelling and the general sense of unease is consistent, throughout. Folk horror always expects you to work for your enjoyment and Starve Acre is no different. You are never quite sure which direction the story will go in and the direction it does is quite refreshing. Even if, at times, it feels a little lacking in flesh, as the case may be.
The story bounces between examining Richard’s exploration into the grounds of the property and the interpersonal issues between him and Juliette after a recent tragedy. Much of the time we are watching him digging up the ground and witnessing strange happenings that are, frankly, inexplicable. While the rest of the time we observe the difficulties of grief and the different ways people cope with loss. It’s interesting stuff but the horror is restrained and, very much, takes a back seat to the drama element.
Starve Acre shows some admirable restraint in keeping its major horror scenes until the final act. But that will probably leave some people wanting. The rather rough narrative can make the journey there a chore, in parts, as well. But the consistently atmospheric mood may just keep you coming back for more. The ending is one that might leave you wondering what the hell you just watched. But isn’t that what makes Folk Horror so appealing?
Worth Mentioning
Starve Acre is gorgeous in its artsyness. Shots are beautifully set up and most of the movie takes place in the daytime allowing for some of that brilliant daylight horror that is becoming so popular lately. The scenery is beautiful and the contrast between the wide outdoors and the claustrophobic interior of the farm makes for a stark illustration of the different character’s inner struggles and conflict.
Acting is strong throughout. Matt Smith is excellent but does seem to over egg the ol’ Yorkshire accent at times. Saint Maud’s Morfydd Clark is brilliant, as always. She does the little things so well that her performances are almost always entirely believable. I feel like she should be a much bigger star than she is. Plus she is Welsh so she gets bonus points for that.
Should You Watch Starve Acre?
I enjoyed Starve Acre but this is one of those movies that will divide critics and viewers. If you have a high tolerance for slow stories, then yes, you should watch Starve Acre. It is just such a glacially paced film that I think many people will find themselves checking out early on. It looks gorgeous, recreates the era brilliantly, is perfectly acted and legitimately unsettling, in parts. I just don’t think it has enough going on to appeal to modern horror fans and that might be its downfall. Very little happens until close to the end. It demands a strong investment of focus and time and that might be just a little too much to ask for many.