Folk Horror

Incantation: Taiwanese horror film about Chinese Folk Religion, possession, demons on the loose figure in this found footage feature. We even get people killing themselves if they watch a video. Some interesting rituals which have tragic consequences if they are interrupted. Lots of biting going on. When you are possessed it's difficult to prove that to social workers who won't believe that your daughter is now under the control of a demon as well. Also elements of child sacrifice to appease the spirits, including the Mother-Buddha. Buddhism does have it's dark side. Some disturbing scenes and genuine horror make Incantation worth watching but a 15 minute cut in it's 110 minute running time would have made it a better film. Directed and co written by Kevin Ko. On Netflix. 7/10.
 
ramonmercado said:
Men: Disturbing is putting it mildly, The Green Man, Sheela na Gig, birth and rebirth, a pub with stranger patrons than those in The Wicker Man. Pretty good but even after two viewings I'm still not sure if I understand it fully. Harper (Jessie Buckley) has recently witnessed the death of her husband, how it happened and the events leading up to it are gradually revealed as the narrative unfolds. she takes a break, renting a Manor House from Geoffrey (Rory Kinnear) who is every inch a the country squire. He is odd, a touch creepy even but in comparison with the other men from the village who Harper meets over the next couple of days. A judgmental gas-lighting vicar; a strange, verbally abusive boy; an inept, uncaring policeman; odd yokel locals in the pub and a naked man who seems to be stalking her. This last character is the most important as he displays aspects of The Green Man.

An atmosphere of threat runs through the film rising to crescendos of existential terror at various stages but the finale blends terror with scenes that some will find disturbing as it explores themes of birth, death and rebirth, a cycle which may end with redemption and forgiveness or a burying of the hatchet. Building towards that denouement we encounter a baptismal font in the local church with a Green Man on one side and a Sheela na Gig on the other and a scene in which a tunnel on an abandoned railway line which provides some remarkable cinematography and sound effects. Rory Kinnear plays all of the male roles (apart from Harper's husband, Paapa Essiedu), using a variety of minimal disguises, exuding toxicities of slightly differing types. An enigmatic but important addition to the English Folk Horror Film Canon., written and Directed by Alex Garland. 8/10.

In cinemas.
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I said it before somewhere here (Horror thread I think) but I really enjoyed this, but would love to have seen a photo somewhere of the main characters father. I think ole Freud would have liked this filum.
 
Holy fuck. This goes beyond horror. The final scenes were repulsive. What an extraordinary piece of work. I get it. We are men. We crave and demand and then squeak like stuck pigs when denied. She broke through it and at the end of her ordeal her partner was there with their imminent offspring - their hope for a better life beyond the childish brutality of the male sex. The film will be a defining movement in art that most viewers will misunderstand. Outstanding. Magnificent. A breakthrough.

Men/Men
 
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The Ritual by Adam Nevill (UK: Pan Macmillan, 2011).

Somebody had to do it. It was inevitable really. I mean the combining of Deliverance with The Blair Witch Project. No doubt some writers considered it but decided that the idea was just too obvious. Perhaps some had a go but couldn't pull it off. Possibly some did it but couldn't find a publisher.

It took Adam Nevill, the 53 year old Brummie novelist (who I am surprised to say is a new one to me) to pull off this tour de force.

A group of four old college buddies living in London, now well into their thirties, embark on a dream hiking trip in the remote forested part of Sweden. The early difficulties they encounter are as banal as they are predictable: they lose their bearings, get blisters on their feet and all sorts of suppressed tensions between them erupt.

Then, however, it appears that they are being stalked by some lethal unseen Thing which has a penchant for hanging its victims on trees with their innards hanging out. This Thing begins to pick them off one by one and The Ritual starts to resemble a sort of downmarket Predator. (Much of the suspense which follows derives from the uncertainty as to what exactly the Thing is...but you'll get no spoilers from me).

Then, just as this lengthy novel seems to be getting a bit routine, there is an unexpected development: Luke, the main protagonist, gets `rescued` by a group of unhinged, if cliched, teenage black metal fanatics, who have their own designs on him....

Nevill is a very literate writer and some of his poetic descriptions of the remorselessly dense forest do drag on a bit (as well as having me need to consult a dictionary on one occasion). There is a hint of Lovecraft in places. However, the main initial draw of the novel is in its human interest aspect. We get the backstories of the four main characters and the realism of this is carried of with conviction. I could strongly relate to Luke - the one of them who never went down the marriage/children/good job route - so it is as well that he becomes the most likely. survivor. The supernatural aspects of the tale I found a little ho-hum.

This novel is grim to a fault - it is full on Horror: a survival thriller-meets-folk horror par excellence - although I did get a bit weary of Nevill's strenuous efforts to mortify me. There was a bit of black comedy in the sequence where he runs foul of the Black Metalheads (as well as some social commentary on how we maybe should not dismiss the potential dangerousness of such people).

I can tell you nothing of the 2017 adaptation to screen of this novel, other than it must have been difficult to do. Perhaps @ramonmercado can enlighten us here.
 
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Zeke Newbold said:
The Ritual by Adam Nevill (UK: Pan Macmillan, 2011).

Somebody had to do it. It was inevitable really. I mean the combining of Deliverance with The Blair Witch Project. No doubt some writers considered it but decided that the idea was just too obvious. Perhaps some had a go but couldn't pull it off. Possibly some did it but couldn't find a publisher.

It took Adam Nevill, the 53 year old Brummie novelist (who I am surprised to say is a new one to me) to pull off this tour de force.

A group of four old college buddies living in London, now well into their thirties, embark on a dream hiking trip in the remote forested part of Sweden. The early difficulties they encounter are as banal as they are predictable: they lose their bearings, get blisters on their feet and all sorts of suppressed tensions between them erupt.

Then, however, it appears that they are being stalked by some lethal unseen Thing which has a penchant for hanging its victims on trees with their innards hanging out. This Thing begins to pick them off one by one and The Ritual starts to resemble a sort of downmarket Predator. (Much of the suspense which follows derives from the uncertainty as to what exactly the Thing is...but you'll get no spoilers from me).

Then, just as this lengthy novel seems to be getting a bit routine, there is an unexpected development: Luke, the main protagonist, gets `rescued` by a group of unhinged, if cliched, teenage black metal fanatics, who have their own designs on him....

Nevill is a very literate writer and some of his poetic descriptions of the remorselessly dense forest do drag on a bit (as well as having me need to consult a dictionary on one occasion). There is a hint of Lovecraft in places. However, the main initial draw of the novel is in its human interest aspect. We get the backstories of the four main characters and the realism of this is carried of with conviction. I could strongly relate to Luke - the one of them who never went down the marriage/children/good job route - so it is as well that he becomes the most likely. survivor. The supernatural aspects of the tale I found a little ho-hum.

This novel is grim to a fault - it is full on Horror: a survival thriller-meets-folk horror par excellence - although I did get a bit weary of Nevill's strenuous efforts to mortify me. There was a bit of black comedy in the sequence where he runs foul of the Black Metalheads (as well as some social commentary on how we maybe should not dismiss the potential dangerousness of such people).

I can tell you nothing of the 2017 adaptation to screen of this novel, other than it must have been difficult to do. Perhaps @ramonmercado can enlighten us here.
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I have read Adam Nevill and enjoy his writing. I don't remember where I came across him. A little off topic, but I have dealt with a couple of small press companies which carry lesser known, but generally good authors who write horror/fantasy/sci-fi. One is Journalstone Publishing and the other is Word Horde. Both are American so I don't buy often because shipping is outrageous, not to mention exchange rates, but anyone interested, I definitely recommend them.
 
Zeke Newbold said:
The Ritual by Adam Nevill (UK: Pan Macmillan, 2011).

Somebody had to do it. It was inevitable really. I mean the combining of Deliverance with The Blair Witch Project. No doubt some writers considered it but decided that the idea was just too obvious. Perhaps some had a go but couldn't pull it off. Possibly some did it but couldn't find a publisher.

It took Adam Nevill, the 53 year old Brummie novelist (who I am surprised to say is a new one to me) to pull off this tour de force.

A group of four old college buddies living in London, now well into their thirties, embark on a dream hiking trip in the remote forested part of Sweden. The early difficulties they encounter are as banal as they are predictable: they lose their bearings, get blisters on their feet and all sorts of suppressed tensions between them erupt.

Then, however, it appears that they are being stalked by some lethal unseen Thing which has a penchant for hanging its victims on trees with their innards hanging out. This Thing begins to pick them off one by one and The Ritual starts to resemble a sort of downmarket Predator. (Much of the suspense which follows derives from the uncertainty as to what exactly the Thing is...but you'll get no spoilers from me).

Then, just as this lengthy novel seems to be getting a bit routine, there is an unexpected development: Luke, the main protagonist, gets `rescued` by a group of unhinged, if cliched, teenage black metal fanatics, who have their own designs on him....

Nevill is a very literate writer and some of his poetic descriptions of the remorselessly dense forest do drag on a bit (as well as having me need to consult a dictionary on one occasion). There is a hint of Lovecraft in places. However, the main initial draw of the novel is in its human interest aspect. We get the backstories of the four main characters and the realism of this is carried of with conviction. I could strongly relate to Luke - the one of them who never went down the marriage/children/good job route - so it is as well that he becomes the most likely. survivor. The supernatural aspects of the tale I found a little ho-hum.

This novel is grim to a fault - it is full on Horror: a survival thriller-meets-folk horror par excellence - although I did get a bit weary of Nevill's strenuous efforts to mortify me. There was a bit of black comedy in the sequence where he runs foul of the Black Metalheads (as well as some social commentary on how we maybe should not dismiss the potential dangerousness of such people).

I can tell you nothing of the 2017 adaptation to screen of this novel, other than it must have been difficult to do. Perhaps @ramonmercado can enlighten us here.
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I have to read this book, I've read other stuff by Nevill. my review of the film:
The Ritual: Four friends go go hill walking in remote Northern Sweden to remember a murdered friend. Taking a shortcut through a forest they come across a gutted deer hanging in a tree. Runes are carved into other trees. Taking shelter in a hut all four have strange nightmares. Lost they stumble through the woods literally experiencing Panic. The cinematography and forest setting helps to develop this sense of primeval fear and threat.

A mixture of tropes bringing to mind The Witch, Blair Witch, Deliverance and Kill List coalesce to form a unique Horror Film which is somewhat left down by uneven pacing. It could also have benefited with some additional Anthropological exposition which may be present in the novel by Adam Nevill (who co-wrote the screenplay). 7.5/10.
 
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I've just read Adam Nevilles "Cunning folk " (mentioned it on the boo!.suggestion thread on here) , and I'm currently on " the reddening ", which is very good. UK set rura! folk horror seems.to be his stock in trade. A happy recent discovery for me.

I've yet to watch and read The Ritual.

I hope they make films of the above 2 . The reddening especially , prehistoric cannibals groups lived in Devon cave and the locals are still practicing the old ways :)
 
The Invocation of Enver Simaku: Albanian Folk Horror film involving possession, Pagan Rituals, Exorcism and mass murder. 1997, Spanish documentary makers Julien & Angela are deep in rural Albania when they gear gunshots. Angela is killed by two brothers who go on to murder dozens of locals. Twenty years later Julien returned to solve the mystery of what happened. It seems to be related to the death of the brothers' older brother Enver who had been in a coma since 1978. The film is presented mostly in the form of a faux documentary, similar to the found footage style. Julien interviews various people as he traverses Albania finding evidence of an official cover up of mass deaths of children in 1978, the survivors were dispersed and those who complained were imprisoned, but not for the usual reasons. They were charged with engaging in witchcraft and sorcery, Hoxha had his own X-Files unit - the Anti-Paranormal Brigade. We hear of the Kukuth, a Pagan Demon who possesses people and devours their souls, finally escaping to inhabit others. An Orthodox Priest describes this in terms of Satanic Possession. The horror here is mostly psychological but the sense of fear, even terror builds as the narrative unfolds, Julien even seems to detect presences in his peripheral vision. Slow moving at times but well worth watching. Written and Directed by Marc Lledó Escartín. On Netflix. 7/10.
 
Ghosts of the Ozarks (2021) has just made it onto Sky Cinema.

A curious helping of folk horror that feels like an extended episode of the old "Wild Wild West" TV series, with a dash of Twin Peaks thrown in, before going full-on Wicker Man in the later stages, followed by a big reveal.

Thomas Hobson plays a young physician invited to his somewhat mysterious uncle's home in a walled settlement deep in the Ozarks. Residents seem to live a happy enough existence, provided they all contribute to society and stay within the walls when night falls, for fear of the red mist and demonic horned beasts that patrol outside.

Not sure I could quite buy Hobson's Doc McCune's transformation from a rather timid rabbit-in-the-headlights character into a kick-arse hero, but the show is probably stolen anyway by the brilliant Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother Where Art Thou?, Ballad of Buster Scruggs etc.) as the blind bar-tender, who navigates using echolocation. He even gets to do a bizarre but inspired song routine (as seems obligatory in all Tim Blake Nelson movies).

Oddly paced, with a fairly slow first three quarters, then something of a rush to its conclusion.

The quirkiness won't be to everyone's taste, but I quite enjoyed it overall.

Maybe 6.5/10.

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blessmycottonsocks said:
Ghosts of the Ozarks (2021) has just made it onto Sky Cinema.

A curious helping of folk horror that feels like an extended episode of the old "Wild Wild West" TV series, with a dash of Twin Peaks thrown in, before going full-on Wicker Man in the later stages, followed by a big reveal.
Thomas Hobson plays a young physician invited to his somewhat mysterious uncle's home in a walled settlement deep in the Ozarks. Residents seem to live a happy enough existence, provided they all contribute to society and stay within the walls when night falls, for fear of the red mist and demonic horned beasts that patrol outside.
Not sure I could quite buy Hobson's Doc McCune's transformation from a rather timid rabbit-in-the-headlights character into a kick-arse hero, but the show is probably stolen anyway by the brilliant Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother Where Art Thou?, Ballad of Buster Scruggs etc.) as the blind bar-tender, who navigates using echolocation. He even gets to do a bizarre but inspired song routine (as seems obligatory in all Tim Blake Nelson movies).
Oddly paced, with a fairly slow first three quarters, then something of a rush to its conclusion.
The quirkiness won't be to everyone's taste, but I quite enjoyed it overall.
Maybe 6.5/10.

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Here's "The Song" from the movie. Gives me faint vibes from one of the Lieder in Cabaret. What d'ya think?

 
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The Feast: Folk Horror and Eco-Horror Welsh language film. Drilling damages the land, hurts nature. A family have demolished the farm house they inherited, built a modern house, done well, but this is an unhappy family and all are unhappy in their own way. They hold a dinner party, invite the entrepreneur who has enriched them and another farming family they hope to corrupt. They hire a local girl, Cadi (Annes Elwy) to help out at the dinner. Slow moving but strange events occur from the start, accidents, injuries, mud stains appear, by the time the grand guignol finale unfolds you have been prepared. Some jump scares but most if the horror here is of a very disturbing nature,, certainly not a film for the squeamish. Brilliant performance by Annes Elwy. Directed by Lee Haven Jones and written and produced by Roger William. 8/10.

In cinemas.
 
ramonmercado said:
The Northman: Not just another Viking tale, based on the Hamlet source material this is an epic. Viking Magic and the Norse Gods are an important part of everyday life in the unfolding of this narrative, In 895 AD the young Amleth goes through a rite of passage ceremony accompanied by his father King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke), they both act and howl like wolves, the King's Jester Heimir (Willem Dafoe) presides over the ritual. A Seeress appears to the adult Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) and foretells his destiny, something he is as bound by as any Predestination believing Calvinist. Throughout the film this outcast prince comes into contact with mediums who guide him on his way and put him in contact with the dead. Physical objects are brought back from these supernatural encounters.

After Amleth's father is slain by his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang) he flees promising to avenge his father and to free his mother, Gudrún (Nicole Kidman), who Fjölnir has taken as his wife. He is raised by a band of Berserkers, we see the Berserker Priest (Magne Osnes) lead the ritual in which his clan put themselves into a trance whereby they see themselves as bear-wolves. After a battle in Russia Amleth discovers that Fjölnir is now in iceland with Gudrún, disguising himself as a slave he sets off to fulfil his destiny. He meets and falls in love with Olga (Anna Taylor-Joy) a Rus Sorceress who is also a slave.

The violence in this film is shocking at times but it reflects the age in which it was set, life was cheap. Even during Fjölnir's coup ordinary people are killed because they literally were in the way. During a Berserker rage Amleth bites the throat out of a Rus warrior but after the battle other Vikings in cold blood slay women and children who aren't useful as slaves. Slaves who mightn't last the winter are slain by Viking farmers. Gore flows through this saga and if you are squeamish or faint of heart then it is best to avoid The Northman. A thrilling story of adventure, betrayal, a thirst for revenge and the acceptance of a fate which is inevitable because it is foretold by the Norns. A few twists add to the tension which permeates the film. Great performances by Skarsgård, Taylor-Joy, Dafoe, Bangs and Kidman. Directed by Robert Eggers, co-Written by Eggers and Sjón. 9/10.
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Interesting essay but I reckon Taylor just doesn't understand Egger. Egger made his own film, his interpretation of Amleth and the characters and archetypes from the Gesta Danorum. Sadly that 12th century Saga wasn't woke enough for Wilson Taylor.

“Summon the Shadows of Ages Past”: Negotiating The Northman’s Antimodernism​

August 29, 2022 • By Wilson Taylor

IN A WELCOME MOMENT of stillness within Robert Eggers’s The Northman (2022), Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) seek solace in a warm spring. Amidst green hills and grazing horses, the two cavort and converse in the Icelandic silence. Sex in a spring, steam on skin; a waterfall’s distant murmur. Amleth, his battered body ferried to the pool by a shrieking Valkyrie, recovers from yet another bloodletting. But, for a spell, the film slows its pace, shares its pleasures, and summons alternate imaginative and aesthetic possibilities.

This brief moment aside, Amleth, the protagonist of Eggers’s Viking epic, has committed his life not to love but to hatred — to fate and vengeance, blood and iron. In one of The Northman’s virtuosic ritual sequences, an underground session with Heimir the Fool, played by a transcendent Willem Dafoe, a boyhood Amleth vows to avenge his father should he be slain. And, after his father, King Aurvandil (a genial Ethan Hawke), is murdered by his own brother, Fjölnir (a roguish Claes Bang), who seizes the kingdom and marries the widowed Queen Gudrún (a beguiling Nicole Kidman), the hero’s arc, and the film’s, is set, as the young Amleth spurs himself to dull revenge: “I will avenge you, Father; I will save you, Mother; I will kill you, Fjölnir.” ...

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article...past-negotiating-the-northmans-antimodernism/
 
Lore (2017) on Prime Video.

Not to be confused with the series of the same name, the 2012 German drama or the 2022 ghost movie, this features a determined woman who, with her estranged husband and an American Indian guide go in search of her missing son in the remote Idaho wilderness.

It's very dialogue-heavy, with the increasingly creepy atmosphere being stoked very slowly. The realisation eventually hits the seekers that hypothermia and vertiginous drops are not the only dangers in these badlands, as something nasty from indigenous folklore is stalking them.

The scenery is absolutely magnificent and there are a handful of shocks along the way, but Lore is very much a slow-burner of a movie and the somewhat muddled and unsatisfying ending may leave you feeling a bit short changed.

I'll rate it 6/10.

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Devil in Ohio: A community of Devil worshipers control a county in Ohio and a teen girl Mae, (Madeline Arthur) escapes from them. She has a pentagram carved into her back. This is no lazy caricature of Wicca or other Pagan beliefs though, they worship the Morning Star in their anti-Bible is The Book Of Caleb, their first Prophet. Their rituals are cleverly imagined rather than hackneyed, they do however have a predilection for human sacrifice in extreme circumstances and setting fires to get back at their enemies. These devilish hotheads have a reach beyond their own County by bribing police and other officials. The series has some great folk music with lyrics praising the Morning Star. Through flashbacks we learn not just the young runaways story but also the history of the Satanic Sect, these interludes inform rather than disrupt the narrative. the main story line relates to the psychiatrist, Dr Mathis (Emily Deschanel) and her family who foster Mae and the trouble this causes for them. Gerardo Celasco is Detective Lopez who helps Mathis to investigate the mystery. Some scenes of outright horror but the terror is mostly psychological as an aura of dread and threat builds. Some interesting Scarecrows; one with a pigs head; the other with a head that turns. it also fulfills an old Halloween Urban Legend. Created by Daria Polatin based on Polatin's book of the same name. Eight episodes on Netflix. 8/10.
 
The theme song isn't so Folkish..

Devil in Ohio theme song

Devil in Ohio features an opening credit sequence complete with a theme song called “Lessons of the Fire” by Bishop Briggs & Will Bates.


Devil in Ohio soundtrack​

The following guide outlines all of the songs featured in Devil in Ohio, broken down by episode.

Devil in Ohio episode 1 songs​

  • “Salvation From the Dawn” – Will Bates feat. Maiah Manser
  • “good 4 u” by Olivia Rodrigo
  • “Honey Understand” by NoSo
  • “The Thread Of The Thing” by Fay Wolf

Devil in Ohio episode 2 songs​

  • “The Water Is Wide” performed by Emily Deschanel

Devil in Ohio episode 3 songs​

  • “do/SAY” by Lipstick Jodi
  • “Salvation From the Dawn” – Will Bates feat. Maiah Manser

Devil in Ohio episode 4 songs​

  • “Roll (My Eyes)” by Lelli
  • Dani (Naomi Tan) and Peter (Sam Jaeger) sing “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher at karaoke

Devil in Ohio episode 5 songs​

  • “MURDER ME” by Blood Red Shoes
  • “Fatal” by Debby Friday
  • “A Soalin'” by Peter & Paul & Mary
  • “Devil’s Stompin’ Ground” by Southern Culture On The Skids

Devil in Ohio episode 6 songs​

  • “Violet” by Hole
  • “The Water is Wide” by Fay Wolf

Devil in Ohio episode 7 songs​

  • “I Guess You Get What’s Coming” by Cody Crump
  • Dani (Naomi Tan) sings “Don’t Rain On My Parade” by Barbara Streisand
  • “Matinee” by REYNA
  • “Sit Down (Extended Mix)” by VINAI & HARRISON
  • “Baby” by Donna Blue

Devil in Ohio episode 8 songs​

  • “Salvation From the Dawn” – Will Bates feat. Maiah Manser
  • “The Gift of the Rose” by Isabella Summers and Elise McQueen
  • “Shadow” by John Mark Nelson
Devil in Ohio is now streaming on Netflix.

https://netflixlife.com/2022/09/02/devil-in-ohio-soundtrack-music-by-the-episode/
 
brownmane said:
Just finished watching “Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror” on Shudder. It explores folk horror in film and features many film clips from international movies along with interviews with filmmakers, authors and folk lore scholars. Quite interesting. It is divided into chapters and, while I didn’t really start to pay attention to the discussions until much further into the movie, the latter half did keep my attention enough that, I am considering rewatching the first half.

The first chapter of the documentary was predictably focussed on British folk horror movies and themes, with the second chapter focussed on American folk horror. Once it directed the discussion to international folk horror, I definitely started to pay attention.

I don’t have an opinion on what defines folk horror, but found the different ideas on what others see as folk horror very interesting. I did realize that, despite folk horror seeming to be defined (to me) as old ways conflicting with new, these “old ways” are ever changing and so folk horror continues evolving. That is an obvious idea as I write it, but I never really thought much about folk horror per se.

The biggest thing I discovered is that there are innumerable films that I have never seen, and now want to find. And while I am not advertising for Shudder, it has now added some of the international films mentioned in the documentary. Looking forward to watching more of these movies.
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Just finished this and really enjoyed it. I didn't feel I would be able to sit still foriver 3 hours, but I did.

There is a handy list of all the films mentioned here, for anyone who is interested:

https://letterboxd.com/erunion/list/films-mentioned-in-woodlands-dark-and-days/
 
The Ones You Didn't Burn: A brother and sister return to their family farm after their father dies,. Nathan is an addict/alcoholic, quick to slip off the wagon, Mirra is forever busy with work., even turning up late for the scattering of their father's ashes. Two sisters, Alice and Scarlett manage the farm. There is strange tone to the film, where a atmosphere of otherness gradually builds up, maybe of psychological horror. Nathan doesn't get on well with the farm women but Mirra bonds with them, talks of running the farm as a going concern rather than selling it. Nathan's nightmares/visions become mire disturbing. The murder of witches in the area as part of a land grab is revealed. Maybe the past is coming back to haunt usurpers. Those close to the land seem to be invigorated by it's spirit. An interesting film with beautiful fields, forest and a stark beach. I'll reflect on it's meaning and final scenes for a while. it seemed somehow unfinished though, the running times of 70 minutes could have been expanded. Written, Directed and Starring Elise Finnerty (as Alice). 7/10

Saw it at Horrorthon.
 
Just watched "The Appointment", Edward Woodward. A kind of folk horror film. Quite odd, and unusually, a film that had me shouting instructions at the lead actor. He ignored me, muppet. Slow, and genuinely builds up a creepy relationship with the watcher. It does help that the lead actor is Edward Woodward, but the direction works generally. It is a bit clunky, and there are elements of "ermm, what about this thing you mentioned and then never addressed?"

It's a story about a father who has to miss his daughter's violin concert, and the anguish that causes him, his wife, and daughter. And some (supernatural?) dogs.

Very worth a watch. It's on the BFI Player, and it sounds as if the BFI patched it together from bits and bobs of remaining film. It was directed by Lindsey C. Vickers, and seems to be their only film. Did do a lot of second unit/assistant directing for 70s horror films, so knew their way round a horror story.
 
Spell: Marquis (Omari Hardwick) has left the hills of Kentucky and his violent father behind him, he is now a partner at a leading law firm. News of his father's death leaves him him ambivalent about attending the funeral but he eventually decides to fly to the isolated area in his own small plane bringing his family with him. The plane crashes after encountering a storm and Marquis wakes in an attic of a house, tended to a woman named Eloise (Loretta Devine). She swiftly introduces him to her hoodoo beliefs, making a figurine of him, claiming it will help him to heal. She is far from the benevolent old lady she appears to be though. Few enough jump scares but there is an atmosphere of unease, paranoia and threat which builds as the narrative unfolds. We encounter hexes, faith healing and an old style revival meeting which is dedicated to the Boogity whose power is invoked. Some strange healing methods and rituals are carried out but the ritual which Marquis must worry about is the one to be completed by the night of the Blood Moon. some rather violent scenes and the effects of folk magic are genuinely disturbing. This is literally Black magic as all of the cast apart from a couple of minor characters are black. A satisfying Folk Horror Thriller if nothing exceptional. Directed by Mark Tonderai, written by Kurt Wimmer. On Netflix. 7/10.
 
ramonmercado said:
Spell: Marquis (Omari Hardwick) has left the hills of Kentucky and his violent father behind him, he is now a partner at a leading law firm. News of his father's death leaves him him ambivalent about attending the funeral but he eventually decides to fly to the isolated area in his own small plane bringing his family with him. The plane crashes after encountering a storm and Marquis wakes in an attic of a house, tended to a woman named Eloise (Loretta Devine). She swiftly introduces him to her hoodoo beliefs, making a figurine of him, claiming it will help him to heal. She is far from the benevolent old lady she appears to be though. Few enough jump scares but there is an atmosphere of unease, paranoia and threat which builds as the narrative unfolds. We encounter hexes, faith healing and an old style revival meeting which is dedicated to the Boogity whose power is invoked. Some strange healing methods and rituals are carried out but the ritual which Marquis must worry about is the one to be completed by the night of the Blood Moon. some rather violent scenes and the effects of folk magic are genuinely disturbing. This is literally Black magic as all of the cast apart from a couple of minor characters are black. A satisfying Folk Horror Thriller if nothing exceptional. Directed by Mark Tonderai, written by Kurt Wimmer. On Netflix. 7/10.
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Now I will have to watch it. Thanks @ramonmercado. I enjoy your reviews, though I don't know where you get the time.
 
The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself: Fairborn Witches battle the Blood Witches. Nathan is the son of a Fairborn Witch but his father was the evil Blood Witch Marcus Edge. Raised by his grandmother he is constantly assessed by the Fairborn Witch Council to see if he is displaying Blood Witch Traits. Things get complicated as his seventeenth birthday approaches, when Witches develop greater powers. This is set in the present day, the witches operate hidden in plain sight unknown to ordinary people. We see some manifestations of powers, shape shifting (the Evil Edge can turn into a wolf), telekinesis, mind control. but a lot of the battles between Witches will be be down to physical prowess.and being skilled in martial arts. Quite violent, even people torn limb from limb but tension is built through psychological horror as clashes, indeed doom at times, are awaited. The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself is based on a Young adult fiction novel Half Bad written by Sally Green, the series is created by Joe Barton who writes/co-writes six of the episodes. Reminds me of Outcast directed by Colm McCarthy. who also directs four episodes of this ( eight episode) Netflix Series. 8/10.

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The Golem: Jewish Folk Horror film set in Lithuania in 1673. The usual happens, a plague strikes the area, Jews who love in an isolated Shtetl are blamed for it, why else would they be free from the plague? It's not just antisemitism which is covered here, so is the restricted life of women in rural Shtetls. Hanna rejects this and studies the Torah and Kaballah, especially on the esoteric topics. which have driven many scholars mad. When local farmers in plague masks attack the village Hanna argues with the Rabbi, saying they should use Kaballah powers to resist the invaders. Rejected she breaks into the synagogue and finds the 72 secret names of God hidden in the Torah in order to reveal the code of merkabah, which could summon a Golem. Eventually she succeeds after going through a long ritual and while the Golem drives off the attackers much more is at stake. Controlling such a creature is difficult, it might choose it's victims arbitrarily or kill those it perceives to be it;s creator's enemies. The mundane life of a Shtetl is counterposed to the mondo horror of The Golem, it literally tears people asunder, extreme gore andterror runs throughout the film. There is also the violence if the Pogroms, lynchings, huts burned, men, women and children brutally murdered. The relationship between Hanna and her husband Benjamin is crucial to the development of the narrative just as their past is to the nature of the The Golem which is created. Sometimes when you call spirits from the vasty deep they actually come but beware of what you wish for. Directed by Doron and Yoav Paz, and written by Ariel Cohen. 8/10.

Saw it on Legend Channel.
 
Nocebo: Filipino Folk Horror, though this is an Irish/Filipino Co-Production and was shot in Dublin and the Philippines the Western parts of the film are set in London. Christine (Eva Green), is a fashion designer who is suffering from a strange illness for which she has to take multiple pills. We see how it started when she had a vision of a wild dog covered in ticks, one of the ticks bites her, perhaps it's all in her mind but her work is suffering as is her relationship with her husband Felix (Mark Strong) and daughter Bobs (Billie Gadsdon). A woman named Diana (Chai Fonacier), turns up claiming that Christine has hired her a carer/housekeeper, by this stage Christine had been subject to serious memory failures so she accepts it. Diana helps Christine with massages and exercises, she then moves on to to use Filipino folk healing techniques. However things take a darker turn after Diana sets up an alter in the fireplace in her room. There are parallel narratives at play in Nocebo, we also see Diana's life from childhood onward, how she developed folk healing skills and the many traumatic events which befell her. The switch from folk healing to folk magic is sharply portrayed, the stronger powers are used to torture and inflict. pain. There are some really disturbing scenes, both everyday violence and suffering as well as that inflicted through supernatural means. Intricate rituals based on a syncretic religion are carried out. Not so many jump shocks but terror gradually builds up in front of your eyes, The split narrative is confusing at times but all coalesces for the finale. There are some plot twists but you'll have to watch Nocebo if you want to know about them. Directed by Lorcan Finnegan from a screenplay by Garret Shanley. 8/10.

In cinemas.
 
Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made, has just made it onto Prime Video.

It's a curious mixture of found footage, film-within-a-film and mocumentary, which has been carefully constructed to unsettle the viewer to a significant degree.

It even comes with a warning and countdown timer, giving you time to bail out before it's too late.

Ringing faint echoes of Blair Witch, A Field in England and Lars Von Trier's Antichrist, this slab of Folk Horror features a brother and sister digging a hole to hell in some remote forest and stumbling upon a couple of red-neck satanists. The use of subliminal images of torture and a very disturbing and discordant soundtrack makes everything seem far nastier than it actually is. Rather like the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, there is next to no genuine gore on display here - but you feel as if there is.

An obviously low budget movie, but one that punches above its weight and gets under your skin.

It was only a work of fiction wasn't it?
7/10.


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ramonmercado said:
Men: Disturbing is putting it mildly, The Green Man, Sheela na Gig, birth and rebirth, a pub with stranger patrons than those in The Wicker Man. Pretty good but even after two viewings I'm still not sure if I understand it fully. Harper (Jessie Buckley) has recently witnessed the death of her husband, how it happened and the events leading up to it are gradually revealed as the narrative unfolds. she takes a break, renting a Manor House from Geoffrey (Rory Kinnear) who is every inch a the country squire. He is odd, a touch creepy even but in comparison with the other men from the village who Harper meets over the next couple of days. A judgmental gas-lighting vicar; a strange, verbally abusive boy; an inept, uncaring policeman; odd yokel locals in the pub and a naked man who seems to be stalking her. This last character is the most important as he displays aspects of The Green Man.

An atmosphere of threat runs through the film rising to crescendos of existential terror at various stages but the finale blends terror with scenes that some will find disturbing as it explores themes of birth, death and rebirth, a cycle which may end with redemption and forgiveness or a burying of the hatchet. Building towards that denouement we encounter a baptismal font in the local church with a Green Man on one side and a Sheela na Gig on the other and a scene in which a tunnel on an abandoned railway line which provides some remarkable cinematography and sound effects. Rory Kinnear plays all of the male roles (apart from Harper's husband, Paapa Essiedu), using a variety of minimal disguises, exuding toxicities of slightly differing types. An enigmatic but important addition to the English Folk Horror Film Canon., written and Directed by Alex Garland. 8/10.

In cinemas.
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Watched it tonight, as It's just made it onto Prime Video.

Agree with your review and rating, as It's certainly compelling stuff, with some jaw-dropping body-horror in the latter stages.

I'm still unsure quite how to rationalise that ending though!

PTSD? Purgatory? Or just plain madness?
 
The Devil to Pay: Set in a remote region of Appalachia which is essentially self-governing, there's a Creed (Covenant) but stronger folks as always bend the rules. Lemon (Danielle Deadwyle) lives a fraught, marginal existence, her husband is missing, she's caring for her son when two heavies arrive. She is summoned to the house of a local strong woman (the heavies "mind" her child); she finds out that her husband owes the woman Tommy (Catherine Dyer) a debt and she now has twi days to make good on that or she and her son will be killed. She searches for her husband, gets a loan of a car in return for delivering vitriol to a strange Cult who live outside of the Creed. The vitriol is to bve used in a ceremony of passing on leadership. Some real Folk Horror vibes *both verbal and visual) here with the Cult's devotion to Nature, sacrifice and rebirth.. Not so much a road movie, rather a mountain movie as Lemon makes her way across hill and dale until she makes a horrifying discovery. But her quest/ordeal is far from over as betrayal and double dealing is exposed. The scenery here is beautiful but can quickly turn threatening as you transform from searcher to prey. The Cult are odd and responsible for some of the most gruesome scenes but their actions have an internal logic. Some other extremely violent sequence on the part of both Lemon and her opponents contribute to the disturbing nature of the film. Much of the horror is psychological though as lemon tries to fulfill Tommy's demands and find ways to outwit her. REminds me in parts of Winter's Bone, the Wrong Turn Reboot and Ozark but it is very much it's own film. Written and Directed by Ruckus Skye and Lane Skye. On Netflix. 8.5/10.
 
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