There’s something pleasant in the familiarity of Starve Acre’s atmosphere. It’s that chilling feeling of sitting outside on a damp, foggy morning. It’s that unsettling feeling that something is not quite right before you go to bed. We’ve seen this type of story told plenty of times through indie horror, and that’s fine. Even if this horror film feels like already-trodden territory, it’s still a worthwhile experience for fans of slow burn horror.
Starve Acre Review
Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon star Matt Smith leads a fairy tale-ish horror film about inviting evil into your home and moving past your inner demons. Set in the 1970s, we follow Richard (Matt Smith), a quiet man who moves back to his quaint home with his wife, Juliette (Morfydd Clark), in an attempt to cure his son’s asthma. A dark history comes to light after a sudden tragedy, forcing the couple to overcome their trauma while what was once thought of as folklore begins unraveling their lives.
Nobody really acts as they should in Starve Acre. It will leave for either an intriguing or frustrating experience at times as we follow characters who refuse to communicate with each other at seemingly necessary times. It adds to this overall feeling that nothing is right. Kokotajlo plays into this creeping, slow type of evil lingering in the air.
It takes a long time to get going (an hour and 15 minutes, to be exact), but then something snaps. The film quickly moves from this slow, psychological drama into a disturbing, tense thriller. It all grows to be very overbearing very quickly and feels like a rewarding payoff after sitting through what could be considered a dull first two acts. Although the insanity only sticks for around twenty minutes, it’s absurdly fun and twisted twenty minutes.
Smith’s performance as Richard is not to be missed. Like the film, he’s quiet and unassuming. This is his first film since Morbius, and it’s a nice reassurance that not only he’s a strong leading actor but also capable of choosing solid projects. Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud) joins in on a jaded mother slowly losing her mind, and she’s similarly terrific. Erin Richards serves as the foil to both characters. She provides the correct amount of “what the hell is going on?” that audiences will surely ask themselves.
Visually, this is a rather stunning piece of horror. It’s picturesque in a way that doesn’t feel like surface level. Too often now, filmmakers are obsessed with cultivating an aesthetic to appear over TikTok feeds, and this feels like a rare horror film that’s beautiful and tranquil to make the audience even more uncomfortable.
Not enough credit can be given to Matthew Herbert. His unsettling score is critical to the unnerving feeling that director Daniel Kokotajlo crafts. Like many British films, there’s much less emphasis on outwardly shocking scares and more on an intimately disturbing type of horror. Herbert weaves each scene with a majestic and tantalizing score that lingers after each scene.
There’s an excellent balance between straightforward scares and the lingering horror set up by the film’s first two acts. For those accustomed to jumpscare-focused horror or with short attention spans, this could prove to be a test of patience. It’s still worth a watch at under a hundred minutes, even if you hate “slow” films.
Kokotajlo has created a film with a clear, disciplined directorial vision behind it. It almost demands a second viewing to unlock the subtleties contained within it, but it’s still rewarding enough on the surface level.
Is Starve Acre worth watching?
Starve Acre meanders through a slow first two acts but delivers an excellent and creepy conclusion. Modern indie horror loves to focus on very specific ideas of grief and frame them through a creepy narrative, but this feels one step above the rest. It’s haunting and meaningful, with a strongly beating heart beneath a twisted exterior. It’s a fun puzzle to unwrap and a horror film ultimately worthy of a watch (or two).
Starve Acre hits theaters and VOD on July 26.
7/10
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