The Unkindness of Ravens

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.

My copy of The Unkindness of Ravens arrived yesterday and I watched it that night. It's a film I've waited about a year to arrive, since supporting it on Kickstarter. Expectations were high... But I can say without a doubt that this is the most disturbing and intense indie horror film I've seen for years.

It follows an ex-soldier who tries to take time out from his personal demons by taking off to live in the wilderness. As you can imagine he doesn't quite escape them. These demons reveal themselves as Ravens and at times as Raven headed warriors which can best be compared to something like the Cenobites from Hellraiser or demons from medieval art.

I'm not ashamed to admit there were scenes that brought a tear to my eye. It's not often that you watch a horror movie that makes you feel so much for the character and makes you root so hard for him to win. This is because the character deals with mental issues that affect real people.

Compared to Lord of Tears this has a different tone, it's more like The Wicker Man than a haunted house movie, but for my money that makes it a far far superior movie, with big improvements to the acting and writing. There is a huge talent behind Lord of Tears and The Unkindness of Ravens which is missing from the industry today and I can't wait to see what Laurie Brewster and Sarah Daly make next.

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.

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.