This year continues to bless horror movie aficionados and Daniel Kokotajlo’s Starve Acre proves to be no different, cementing itself as a worthwhile entry in the genre in 2024. However, it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, as it fancies slow-burn, cerebral mind-messing rather than full-blown scares at every turn. In short, it unsettles rather than terrifies – but stay with it, and the film will stick with the viewer long after the credits roll.
Starve Acre follows Richard (House of the Dragon‘s Matt Smith) and Juliette (Morfydd Clark) who move to the countryside with their son, Owen (Arthur Shaw), to stay in Richard’s old family home. It doesn’t take too long for Owen to showcase peculiar and disturbing behaviour that worries his parents. Soon, a tragedy befalls the family and throws their life into disarray, as Richard uncovers the dark secrets of his family’s home.
The film doesn’t try to pull a sleight of hand to deceive the audience; instead, it’s clear that something sinister is happening from the get-go. (Composer Matthew Herbert deserves special credit here for laying the foundation with an eerie score that sets the tone.) Coupled with the fact that Richard and Juliette deal with heartbreaking trauma of now and the past, Starve Acre becomes more about the quiet horror that isn’t seen rather than what’s on screen half the time. While they attempt to put on a brave face around each other, they unravel, piece by piece, here.
What Kokotajlo does exceptionally well is to blur the lines between the mystery of the family home and the personal trauma experienced. It would be all too easy to lay the blame for everything happening because “this place is evil,” but the writer-director chooses to use horror as a metaphor for emotions not dealt with as well. Much like Mike Flanagan does in Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, this becomes an analysis of how people become haunted by the demons they never exorcise.
Kokotajlo also isn’t afraid to get exceptionally weird and delve deep into folklore legend, as Starve Acre features scenes that will have viewers pausing and rewinding to ensure they saw what they saw. Without getting into spoiler territory or destroying the experience, the film’s poster isn’t simply a nice picture for the sake of it.
Performance-wise, Smith and Clark carry the psychologically unnerving story in an exceptional manner. There are moments when the communication between the couple dips, but Smith and Clark convey every emotion and burning tension without saying a single word to each other. The leads possess a strong synergy that not only demonstrates their versatility as performers but also their ability to know when a little says more than a lot.
While Starve Acre provides food for thought and forces reflection upon the audience, it isn’t the easiest or most exhilarating watch. More arthouse than grindhouse, the film chooses subtly over expressive acts of horror. This slows down the movie to a walking pace and it often feels longer than its 98 minutes. Ultimately, though, it rewards those who make it to the end.
Starve Acre |
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An idyllic rural family life of a couple is thrown into turmoil when their son starts acting out of character. |
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| Studio: BBC Film, BFI, House Productions, Access Entertainment |
| Running Time: 98 minutes |
| Release Date: July 26, 2024 |
| Cast: Matt Smith, Morfydd Clark, Erin Richards |
| Director: Daniel Kokotajlo |
| Writers: Daniel Kokotajlo, Andrew Michael Hurley |
| Genre: Drama, Horror |
| Box Office: N/A |
The Review
Starve Acre
Starve Acre burns slowly but leaves a scar.
Review Breakdown
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Verdict
