The Unkindness of Ravens

I did like Lord of Tears and gave it 6 out of 10 but there is simply no comparison with The Unkindness of Ravens. Lord of Tears showed potential but the latest movie to come from director Lawrie Brewster shows that he got his act together with the issues that film had.

The acting is utterly intense and the pace is insane especially in the last half. I don't think I've actually seen an indie horror put someone through so such hell since perhaps A Serbian Film! I'd compare The Unkindness of Ravens to The Evil Dead with parts reminding me of Phantasm. If that doesn't make much sense it's because there is not many films as strange as this.

Some of the scenes are graphic and at times I had to look away as I have a thing about eyes... and so does this movie. It also made me feel for the character and the problems are vets come home with. You really care for him. Most important for me was that it didn't have a cop out ending - but an epic finale, won't say more than that.

Another plus is that they got the guy from Lord of Tears with the beard who I thought was really good.

Lord of Tears had me on the fence, but The Unkindness of Ravens seals the deal.

A horrible pastiche of too many other films and books.

At the core, it's a cross between The Spirals of Danu and The Warhammer novel "The Unkindness of Ravens", but without the mythos or sophistication.

Clunky dialogue and mile-wide-plot-holes make this boring by the numbers "horror" (and I use that term advisedly) one to avoid.

Hmm, contributed ( although meagerly) to this project, and I must admit I had hoped for a slightly better outcome. I felt a bit underwhelmed by this as opposed to Lord of Tears, which was a superior film in my opinion. The same sense of desolation and hopelessness is definitely present, but what is lacking here is the intangible sense of dread. When you choose to display the enemy so frequently, much of the uncanny and the creepy loose its impact, I felt there was such an over-saturation of the raven-men, that it became boring. In Lord Of Tears, the creature was used sparingly, appearing now and then to utter prophecies of doom, but here the raven- men is used to so such an effect that they almost cancel themselves out as figments of horror and madness and instead becoming mere men in beaked costumes. Which of course diminishes greatly the alternate reality you are supposed to be swept up in as a viewer. But all in all, compared to the soulless dreck being released with the label of horror these days, this film is without a doubt a work of passion for horror, and despite the flaws, I suggest you check it out. And whenever Mr. Brewster has a new project, you should support it, there is always room for improvement.

The Unkindness of Ravens wastes no time in delivering the viewer into the world of PTSD-suffering Andrew. At the urging of his therapist, Andrew retreats to a remote cottage in the wilderness of Scotland to face his demons - both the unshakeable memories of wartime atrocities, and the phantasmic cult of raven-men that haunt his every waking moment. An unhealthy dose of isolation and survivors guilt make Andrew quick fodder for his avian tormentors, as well as his own incriminating reflection. Playing out like an extended Jacob's Ladder type nightmare, the film sends Andrew through a gauntlet of terrors as we learn about the events which brought him to his fragile mental state.

Shy on dialog, Jamie Scott Gordon bares a heavy load, carrying the film as virtually its sole character. Jamie is fearless in his raw emotion and empathetic in his suffering. Lawrie Brewster's film is heavy with mood, yet economic and precise with its storytelling; starting from a gloomy foundation and only building from there.

Masterful cinematography and visual effects work by Gavin Robertson and Michael Brewster paint scene after scene of dire circumstances splayed across stark, barren landscapes, and dilapidated architectures. Joseph Ruddleston's score and Sarah Daly's sound design are perfect complements, adding an impactful voice to Andrew's distress.

A well done independent movie, beautifully shot in the Scottish Highlands, that blends the horrors of PTSD with the fascinating Celtic legend of the "raven warriors". Atmospheric and unsettling, with its low budget only revealed with some dodgy CGI.