Based on the novel of the same name by Andrew Michael Hurley, director Daniel Kokotajlo's (Apostasy) Starve Acre is a folk-horror set in 1970s Yorkshire.
Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark play a grieving couple who
unleash dark forces when they summon the supernatural powers of an ancient
oak tree that once grew on their land.
The film also stars Erin Richards, Robert Emms, Sean Gilder and
Arthur Shaw.
"I'm a sucker for films that put a spell on you with their attitudes and
strange sensibilities," says Kokotajlo. "English folk tales like Starve Acre give you an opportunity
to do that. It's not just horror; it ends up in a weird, off-kilter place.
It can be uncomfortably quiet and sensitive, then suddenly it slaps you in
your face with its oddballness. That was the aim of this film: to create a
mood of nervousness. Making an audience nervous results in a whole range
of reactions: tears, screams or giggles. It's my idea of cathartic fun.
Starve Acre also taps into a timeless fear that feels more
relevant than ever: the idea that returning home, to nature, and
regressing into childhood, is a big mistake. The film removes the
nostalgic, rose-tinted glasses, and shows us that there are dark things,
long-buried superstitions, awaiting our return."
Starve Acre is in US cinemas and VOD from July 26th and
UK/ROI cinemas from September 6th.
Check out the UK/US trailers and posters below.
The official synopsis reads:
1970s, rural Yorkshire. Richard and Juliette Willoughby’s seemingly idyllic family life is thrown into turmoil when their young son Owen starts acting out of character. A sudden, tragic event brings grief and drives a wedge between the once happy couple. At Starve Acre, their remote family home, academic archaeologist Richard buries himself in exploring a folkloric myth that the ancient oak tree that once stood on their land is imbued with phenomenal powers. While Juliette turns to the local community to find some kind of peace, Richard obsessively digs deeper. An unexpected discovery soon occupies the couple's attention and dark and sinister forces, unwittingly allowed into their home, offer a disturbing possibility of reconnection between them.
