He may have swapped his usual Sci fi trappings for the folklore of rural England but this might be Alex Garlands most Alex Garland film yet.
The visual quality you have come to expect after Ex Machina and Annihilation is present, even if the surroundings are very different, as is the melancholy tone. What is less is expected is just how far down the horror well the film goes with some genuinely creepy moments and pretty out there body horror.
The film revolves around two excellent performances. Rory Kinnear plays every male character in the village and manages to make every one of them unsettling in a different way but it is Jessie Buckley who holds the movie together. She hits the right balance of anxiety and anger to render main character Harper completely believable, giving the viewer an anchor when the film gets out there. And it gets waaay out there by end. Is it style of substance? Possibly, but when it's this much fun who cares.
The visual quality you have come to expect after Ex Machina and Annihilation is present, even if the surroundings are very different, as is the melancholy tone. What is less is expected is just how far down the horror well the film goes with some genuinely creepy moments and pretty out there body horror.
The film revolves around two excellent performances. Rory Kinnear plays every male character in the village and manages to make every one of them unsettling in a different way but it is Jessie Buckley who holds the movie together. She hits the right balance of anxiety and anger to render main character Harper completely believable, giving the viewer an anchor when the film gets out there. And it gets waaay out there by end. Is it style of substance? Possibly, but when it's this much fun who cares.