A young woman and her mother-in-law's secluded life is disrupted by the arrival of a figure from their past.
Review by Eric Hillis
Directed by: Natasha Kermani
Starring: Sophie Turner, Kit Harington, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurence O'Fuarain, Jonathan Howard
If the setup of writer/director Natasha Kermani's The Dreadful seems familiar, you've probably seen the classic Japanese horror movie Onibaba. Kaneto Shindō's film isn't credited as the source here, but Kermani has admitted to being inspired by the Shin Buddhist parable on which that movie was based. Kermani's diversions from her inspiration put The Dreadful in line with her previous horror movie, the Joe Hill adaptation Abraham's Boys. Kermani has now made two movies back to back in which a parental figure claims to be protecting a younger person from evil, while in reality they are themselves as evil as it gets.
The story has been transposed from 14th century Japan to 15th century England. The Wars of the Roses are raging, leaving villages bereft of their menfolk. With her husband Seamus (Laurence O'Fuarain) away in battle, Anne (Sophie Turner) is in the care of her mother-in-law Morwen (Marcia Gay Harden). Anne doesn't question how Morwen keeps putting food on the table, oblivious to the truth: Morwen is luring men to their doom and stealing their possessions.
When Seamus's best friend Jago (Kit Harington) returns from war, he brings with him the bad news that Seamus didn't make it. Jago claims Seamus was murdered by bandits after the two men deserted, but can he be trusted? (His name is Jago, after all). Morwen is left distraught at the loss of her son, but Anne doesn't seem all that upset (mostly due to Turner's lack of expression) and is quickly seduced by Jago.
Meanwhile Morwen's murderous ways escalate, even butchering a travelling monk, at which point Anne discovers the truth and decides maybe it's best if she run away with Jago. Anne keeps having visions of a Monty Python-esque black knight in the foggy woods - is the knight real or a manifestation of her guilt over taking another lover so soon?
Even if you haven't seen Onibaba, you'll see the film's big twist coming long before the fog lifts. So much of the movie is invested in laying the groundwork for that climactic reveal that too much time is spent laying narrative crumbs rather than developing characters or atmosphere. The three central figures fail to engage, thanks in no small part to the lifeless performances of Turner and Harington, who fail to convince us that they're in the throes of passion (casting two actors who played siblings on multiple seasons of a TV show as lovers probably wasn't the best idea). Harden at least hams it up, bringing some life to an otherwise dull affair, though her "ooo aar" south coast accent is often impenetrable.
If you watched The Dreadful with the sound off it might convince you it's a more effective slice of folk horror than it really is. Julia Swain's cinematography draws inspiration from classic British and European gothic horror, with a fog machine working overtime to create some moody shots. But when you're forced to listen to The Dreadful's leaden dialogue and endure the uncommitted performances of Turner and Harington, Kermani's film begins to live down to its title.
The Dreadful is on UK/ROI VOD from August 10th.
