Shepherd

We know, we know...lighthouses and loneliness make you crazy. When you've recently lost a wife, it's not a good idea to take a job herding sheep in the middle of nowhere. Bound to be some ghosts.

I was pleasantly surprised by this film since I did not go in expecting much due to the low ratings and negative reviews.

If you like old-style, cerebral, slow-building horror I urge you to give this film a look. The cinematography is luscious, the location is stark and beautiful (Scottish Hebrides) and the acting is great. The imagery is profound.

No, it isn't a thrill-a-minute scare-fest but it is a worthy well-crafted film.

Give it a shot.

Well you know it's going to be slow as it is based on one man alone on an island so don't go in looking for a high octane thriller. The film itself is well enough made with a lower budget than many get but I have to say that having immersed myself into the solitude of the subject I didn't get any real satisfaction from the ending. I guess many will have their own interpretation on the meaning of it all. Me, I wanted a little more clarity.

First of all, I'm a horror film fan. The scarier, bloodier and crazier the better. That's not to say I have unsophisticated taste, though. I absolutely loved this movie. It's not "scary" scary, or bloody. It's not particularly crazy either. This isn't a cheap looking home movie, like some low budget flicks out there. It had a Hitchcock style vibe to it (think Vertigo) that drew me in from the beginning. I usually hate dream sequences as a cheap plot device, but here it's really hard to tell what's a dream, a fantasy, or reality. The atmosphere of a foggy, cold island with the creepy sheep and bell from the lighthouse take you on a journey of psychological horror. This is a very well done, well acted movie. I highly recommend this for a more mature audience. It's not a popcorn horror movie, which is actually nice for a change.

Every now and again you come across a film that you don't expect to be different to the norm, but this one kept me guessing throughout and was genuinely frightening at times. If you liked the Woman in Black or any of those Lighthouse keeper films then you are going to appreciate the haunted nature of landscape in this. Filmed on Mull, it probably did not cost a lot but stands up to most of the US-CGI type stuff you see these days. Loved Greta Scaachi and Kate Dickie's performances. Won't spoil it but well worth your time and thank you to the team that created it, will keep an eye out for more from this director.