Pairic

Harvest: Set in Scotland during an undefined era, maybe late medieval but some anachronisms suggest a later period. Steeped in folklore and the heritage of rural life, Folk Horror also intrudes on this less than idyllic existence. A fire destroys a barn but the Harvest Feast goes ahead the next day, The estate owner has brought a cartographer to his lands, lands we learn that are no longer his but belong to a cousin. The cousin wants to enclose the commons, drive off the tenants and introduce sheep to the land. The map is not the territory but by drawing boundaries and giving names to previously unnamed features a new reality is created. Maks and costumes which would not be out of place in The Wicker Man are worn by the villagers, folk songs and dances are performed. Some of which hint at an adherence to old beliefs. The downfall of the villagers lies in their fear and mistrust of outsiders and their willingness to blame other ordinary people for their troubles rather than their oppressors. Witches are hunted and there are some violent scenes and deaths but the real horror lies in how a time of changes brings destruction to a traditional way of life. At 131 minutes it is overlong and would have benefitted from a 20 minute cut in it's running time. Directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari, Screenplay by Joslyn Barnes and Tsangari from the 2013 book by Jim Crace, 7.5/10.

In cinemas, streaming on MUBI from 8 August.

Impostor: SF Dark Paranoia Thriller based on the 1953 short story "Impostor" by Philip K. Dick. In the year 2039, Earth is attacked by an alien civilization from Alpha Centauri. Force field domes are put in place to protect some cities, others are abandoned to their fates and an underclass lives beyond the domes. A totalitarian global military government is established to effect the war and the survival of humans. The Centaurians have never been physically seen. Thirty years passes, Spencer Olham (Gary Sinise) is a designer of top-secret government weapons, his wife Maya (Madeline Stowe) is a doctor at a military hospital. Olham is accused of being a replicant, sent by the Centaurians to replace prominent humans. Arrested and tortured he manages to escape. A great example of Dickian existential paranoia about reality and identity which is impaired by the drawn out nature of the narrative. This was originally intended to be a segment of an anthology film and might have worked better ar 40 minutes rather than it's 96 minute running time, The central chase sequence in particular could have been trimmed. Still the film has a Blade Runner feel, Major Hathaway (Vincent D'Onfrio), the lead replicant hunter, isn't worried about false positives when it comes to replicants and vivisects them alive. It's certainly worth watching and has a couple of interesting final twists. Directed by Gary Fleder, Screenplay by Caroline Case,Ehren Kruger and David Twohy. 7/10. Saw it on Legend Channel.

Untamed: A dark series set in Yosemite National Park. A young woman (Ezra Franky) falls off El Capitan vertical rockface, evidence emerges that she had been wounded by gunfire and likely hunted. Missing person cases and murders going back years may be connected to this death. Drug smuggling, meth labs, corruption all intertwine along with a squatters camp led by a now missing shaman. Deaths mount, somr gory vio;ent deaths and assaults are portrayed. Not strictly speaking Folk Horror but it has that feel. Eric Bana is a special agent investigating the mysteries assisted by rookie Park Ranger Lily Santiago, Sam Neill is the Park's Chief Ranger. Eerie and compelling viewing, much of the narrative unfolds through flashbacks. Showrunners & Writers Elle Smith and Mark L. Smith. Six Episodes on Netflix. 8/10.