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If last year's chilling Doctor Who episode '73 Yards' taught us anything, it's this: don't mess with fairy circles. It's a lesson that Daphne (Rosy McEwen) and Darcy (Dev Patel), the married musicians at the centre of first-time feature filmmaker Bryn Chainey's upcoming folk horror Rabbit Trap, probably wish they'd learnt before heading to rural Wales to work on their latest album. As we soon see in the first trailer for Chainey's 70s set movie, tylwyth teg — or fairy folk, to the non-Welsh speaking among us — don't take too kindly to having their peace disturbed, and finding the right sound for their avant garde new record is about to become the least of Daphne and Darcy's worries. Check it out below;

A little bit Starve Acre, a little bit In The Earth, and just a smidge Berberian Sound Studio, Chainey's movie looks to be pulling from all the right influences,...

After carving out a name for itself as a home for independent and classic cinema in the UK, BFI Player, the British Film Institute’s streaming platform, is now expanding internationally.

In May, BFI Player launched in Finland, and last month it debuted in Sweden.

Next year it is likely to launch in Ireland, according to Paul Lewis, director of the BFI Player. “We aim to launch in one new territory each year.”

Lewis says English-speaking, culturally similar countries such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand are among key territories also being considered.

India is also “really interesting” as a...

BFI Player, the British Film Institute’s streaming platform, has carved out a name for itself as a home for independent and classic cinema in the UK.

Slowly but surely, it is now expanding into international markets. In May, BFI Player launched in Finland, and last month it debuted in Sweden.

Next year it is likely to launch into Ireland, according to Paul Lewis, director of the BFI Player. “We aim to launch in one new territory each year.”

Lewis says English-speaking, culturally similar countries such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand are among key territories being considered after this.

July 2025 is already here, bringing with it a new slate of library additions set to arrive on your favorite streaming services. Hulu, HBO Max, Netflix, Peacock, Paramount+, Shudder, and Tubi have announced their July 2025 lineups, so we’re compiling them all into a handy horror guide for your watchlists.

Of note, look for one of the year’s biggest box office draws to arrive on HBO Max on the Fourth of July: Sinners. The streaming service also adds 2025 genre titles Death of a Unicorn and Opus to its July lineup. You can continue to catch up on 2025 horror releases with Drop’s arrival on Peacock this month, too.

Check out the July 2025 horror streaming lineup below.

HBO Max

A24’s ‘Opus’

July 1

Annabelle

Get Out

Insidious

The Amityville Horror (1979)

The Amityville Horror (2005)

The Great Wall

The Last House on the Left

The Meg

July 4

Sinners

July 11

Opus

July 25

Death of a Unicorn...

Wow, time really flies! This year, our favorite go-to horror site, Shudder, will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary, and with that comes an exciting new change. Later this year, the streaming service is set to launch a brand-new ad-supported tier, giving horror fans an even more affordable way to access the thrilling content they've come to love.

Although an official launch date has yet to be announced, subscribers to the plan can look forward to a premium viewing experience with minimal interruptions, featuring a light commercial load that won’t disrupt their horror movie marathons. As of April 7, Shudder currently offers two ad-free subscription plans: a monthly membership priced at $8.99 per month (before taxes) and an annual membership at $89.99 per year (before taxes). While it's unclear at the moment what the ad-supported plan will cost, it's expected to be more affordable than the current ad-free options, making it an appealing...

With its 1970s setting, Starve Acre is a modern folk horror that leans into its inevitable comparisons with films like The Wicker Man and Don’t Look Now. Even so, Starve Acre becomes more a litmus test of dread – for audiences and characters alike – than a formulaic folk horror. Where folk horror films like Midsommar invoke a kind of thrill in piecing together what tapestries and paintings will come to mean, Starve Acre forces viewers to see it coming and to sit in that unease. Director Daniel Kokotajlo supports his environment of disquietude with still shots of Yorkshire’s beautiful, but oppressive landscapes between the slow, deliberate camerawork that punctuates the story.

No matter the time of year, Shudder always has an extensive supply of horror films to satisfy its subscribers. Spring might be quickly approaching, but spooky season never ends with this streaming service. This month, the platform is guaranteed to have even more gruesome and terrifying films for everyone to enjoy.

From comedic slasher flicks to vampires and the supernatural, Shudder will have just about every subgenre viewers could possibly want. Whether horror fans want blood and gore or psychological thrillers, the platform has them covered. No matter what audiences want to see this month, Shudder will certainly have something for them.

'30 Days of Night' Stream Now on Shudder

Based on the comic book miniseries of the same name, 30 Days of Night unfolds in the small town of Barrow, Alaska, during their yearly polar night, in which the sun doesn’t rise for 30 days. After strange occurrences begin...

If you’re looking for new awards contender movies to watch on streaming or video on demand, your pickings are slim this post-Oscars weekend, but we do have a few suggestions for things to watch. Our list includes a top pick that just became available on subscription streaming, two other new releases on streaming, an older movie that would make for a nice triple feature with the top pick, and a past Oscar nominee recently added to Netflix.

Top pick: Heretic

Hugh Grant’s villain era continues in this twisty A24 horror movie. Sophie Thatcher (a rising scream queen whose movie Companion was one of our picks two weeks ago) and Chloe East play Mormon missionaries who try to carry the word to the wrong man, Mr. Reed. He takes them prisoner and tells them that he has found the one true religion, seemingly offering them the opportunity to escape if they renounce their faith.

British musician and DJ Matthew Herbert has pretty much done it all. After making a name for himself in electronic music (his 2003 manifesto “Personal Contract for the Composition of Music” famously emphasizes “no drum machines”) and launching his label Accidental Records, he ended up remixing such iconic artists as Quincy Jones, Ennio Morricone, Serge Gainsbourg, and classical composer Gustav Mahler.

His production work has seen him work with the likes of The Zone of Interest composer Mica Levi, Róisín Murphy (one half of the pop duo Moloko), and frequent collaborator and Icelandic songstress Björk. Best known for turning ordinary or so-called found sound into electronic music, he has also become a go-to partner for film and TV creators looking for a score. Cases in point are such films as A Fantastic Woman and Starve Acre, as well as such TV series as The Responder and Noughts and Crosses.

Most recently,...

Once we have all survived the most lovey dovey of days on the yearly calendar we may turn our attention to what our friends at Shudder have planned for us during the month of March.    Highlight films are the horror thriller Rule of Jenny Pen, slasher comedy Bloody Axe Wound and folk horror Starve Acre. Programming mainstay The Last Drive In returns with watch parties every Friday night.    Another cool bit of programming is the inclusion of the original Evil Dead from Sam Raimi and Fede Alvarez's contemporary remake on March 15th. For subscribers in the U.S. Raimi's sequel, the horror comedy Army of Darkness also begins streaming on that day.    What's that? You want century-old horror flicks to watch? Keep your...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

AMC Networks’ Shudder has announced the titles that will be available on the streaming service next month. The Shudder March 2025 slate includes horror, thriller, and supernatural titles.

The March schedule includes Bloody Axe Wound, a new season of The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, The Rule of Jenny Pen, Starve Acre and more. Keep reading to view the full schedule.

Shudder’s expanding library of films, TV series, and original content is available on most streaming devices in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs Season 7 Shudder March 2025 Highlights

The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs Season 7 (Shudder Original Series) – Premieres Live Friday, March 7 on Shudder TV Beginning at 9 p.m. Et; Debuts on-demand Sunday, March 9; Double Features Premiere the First Friday of Every Month Available in the US and CA.

Lock your doors and crank the volume for a...

The folk-horror genre has been a perennial mainstay on screens for decades, with recent installments from films like Midsommar, Enys Men, and more recently Starve Acre revitalizing the genre. Harvest, which marks the English-language debut of Greek director Athina Rachel Tsangari, continues this tradition but deploys it in more novel ways. The film utilizes its quasi-folk-horror sensibility to paint an elegiac portrait of a pre-industrial village in the Scottish Highlands.

The film, adapted from Jim Crace’s novel of the same name, follows a small community nearing the end of the harvest season, run under their master Charles Kent (Harry Melling), who inherited the estate their village is on from his late wife, and his right-hand man Walter Thirsk (Caleb Landry Jones). The village displays all the traditional trappings of folk-horror communities found in films like The Wicker Man. They consciously live outside the gaze of God, engage in bizarre practices,...

There’s a new sensation in Tinseltown and she’s playing a younger version of Cate Blanchett in The Lord of the Rings. Welsh actress Morfydd Clark has been active in the industry since 2014. Trained at the Drama Centre London, she has a theatrical background. In films and TV, she predominantly landed roles in period dramas, horror, and fantasy.

Morfydd Clark as Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | Credits: Prime Video

In 2020, she was cast in a main role in the spin-off series to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. She played Galadriel in The Rings of Power, the role Blanchett played in the original. Clark’s performance has received a positive response from the audience.

Clark has shown her distinct acting skills in a wide variety of roles in the past. She was first noticed in her role as Frederica Vernon in Whit Stillman...

Morfydd Clark is best known for playing Galadriel in Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, but she has a wide range of other movie and television roles under her belt as well. While Rings of Power has received a mixed reception since its 2022 debut, Clark's performance is one of the series' consistent highlights throughout seasons 1 and 2. Instead of trying to mimic Cate Blanchett's movie performance, Clark provides her own distinct take on the character.

Her Galadriel is younger, more impulsive, and more prone to anger yet Clark still imbues the character with gravitas and a commanding delivery of her lines. She brings to life one of The Rings of Power's best characters and has strong chemistry with Charlie Vickers, making the relationship between Galadriel and Sauron particularly compelling to watch. Clark was already a rising star before The Rings of Power, though, and has...

RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Sep 6-8)Total gross to dateWeek 1. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Warner Bros) £7.3m £7.3m 1 2. It Ends With Us (Sony) £668,882 £20m 5 3. Deadpool & Wolverine (Disney) £661,429 £56m 7 4. Alien: Romulus (Disney) £570,436 £12.1 4 5. Despicable Me 4 (Universal) £543,555 £45.7m 9

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.31

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice scared away the competition at the UK-Ireland box office this weekend to top the charts with a £7.3m opening for Warner Bros.

It is the fifth biggest opening of 2024 and Tim Burton’s third biggest opening, closely behind 2005’s Charlie And The Chocolate Factory which started on £8m, and 2010’s Alice In Wonderland - still in the lead with £10.8m.

There's more guests than hosts on the Empire Podcast this week folks as, due to a combination of work absences, holidays, and *checks notes* a dog eating Chris Hewitt's podcasting microphone, only Helen O'Hara and James Dyer are on pod-duty this week. But fear not! Though their numbers be depleted, our two colleagues of such lethal cunning still bring the film-related fun. In the pod booth, Helen and James take on a brace of listener questions, contemplating which doomed crews in film they'd want to be stuck with before pontificating on whether video game movies are the adaptations are the next comic book movies. Then, in this week's movie news section, the pod team tackle a slew of new trailers — Minecraft, Nightbitch, Smile 2, and more — and discuss Ian McKellen's potential return to Middle-earth.

On the reviews front then this week, we're tackling Tudor thriller Firebrand, Tim Burton sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,...

It’s Showtime for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as the Warner Bros sequel releases into 717 cinemas across the UK and Ireland this weekend.

Tim Burton’s follow-up to his 1988 cult hit sees Michael Keaton return as the titular ghoul alongside Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara. New faces include Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux and Monica Bellucci.

The original Beetlejuice made nearly $75m at the box office (numbers not adjusted for inflation) with the sequel expected to exorcise that number within its opening weekend.

Burton’s last theatrical release was in 2019 with the Disney live-action Dumbo opening on £6.1m from 661 sites. His...

It’s Showtime for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as the Warner Bros sequel releases into 717 cinemas across the UK and Ireland this weekend.

Tim Burton’s follow-up to his 1988 cult hit sees Michael Keaton return as the titular ghoul alongside Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara. New faces include Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux and Monica Bellucci.

The original Beetlejuice made nearly $75m at the box office (numbers not adjusted for inflation) with the sequel expected to exorcise that number within its opening weekend.

Burton’s last theatrical release was in 2019 with the Disney live-action Dumbo opening on £6.1m from 661 sites. His...

Matt Smith has carved out a truly distinctive career, frequently stepping into the shoes of characters with questionable morals. If he had a nickel for every morally ambiguous role he’s played, he’d be rolling in change. It’s clear these complex, flawed figures are his bread and butter, and he loves bringing them to life on screen.

House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 6. Photograph by Liam Daniel| Credits: HBO.

However, Smith has voiced his frustrations with today’s cancel culture, feeling that these rich, provocative characters are being muzzled and not allowed to fully come alive. Now that he’s hitting a wall with the heavy-handed censorship of modern times, he is undeniably frustrated, especially when he wants his characters to run wild and free.

Why Always Psychos? Matt Smith’s Psyche Behind Choosing Psycho Characters

In a recent interview with The Times, Matt Smith, the standout star of House of the Dragon,...

Director Daniel Kokotajlo follows up his 2017 debut Apostasy with a radical shift that no-one could have predicted. Adapted from the Andrew Michael Hurley titular novel, Starve Acre trades the religious fervour of Apostasy for the folkloric kind, though the stark intimacy of Kokotajlo’s restrained filmmaking remains, with mostly solid results.

The film is disorienting from the outset, rupturing an idyllic day out for archeologist Richard (Matt Smith) and his wife Juliette (Morfydd Clark). The couple are picture perfect: lounging against a tree, his head on her lap, until their son Owen (Arthur Shaw) is caught red-handed after gouging the eye from a pony. The family’s move to Richard’s family home in rural Yorkshire proves not to be the salve for Owen’s ailing health that they hoped it to be — in fact, Owen claims to hear the voice of the same spirit that has been haunting Richard since childhood.

Though numbers were down from last year, the U.K. and Ireland box office saw a boost from National Cinema Day on Aug. 31 with cinemas reporting 1 million admissions for the promotional event, according to Comscore.

Boosted by lower ticket prices, Universal’s “Despicable Me 4” narrowly reclaimed the top spot for the weekend, grossing £1.24 million ($1.6 million) in its eighth week of release for a cumulative total of £44.5 million ($58.4 million).

Disney’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” followed closely in second place with £1.22 million, pushing its six-week total to £54.6 million. Sony’s “It Ends With Us” rounded out the top three with £1.1 million in its fourth frame, reaching £18.6 million overall.

Sci-fi horror “Alien: Romulus” from Disney landed in fourth with £1.07 million, bringing its three-week tally to £10.8 million. Newcomer, “Andre Rieu’s 2024 Maastricht Concert: Power Of Love,” from Piece of Magic Entertainment, debuted in fifth place with £629,652.

Disney’s “Inside Out 2” continued to...

Matt Smith, star of House of the Dragon and The Crown, has doubled down on his criticism of trigger warnings.

In an interview with The Times of London, the actor, who shot to fame in Doctor Who, said that flagging potentially upsetting content was dumbing down storytelling for audiences.

“Too much policing of stories and being afraid to bring them out because a climate is a certain way is a shame. I’m not sure I’m on board with trigger warnings,” Smith said.

“It’s Ok to feel uncomfortable or provoked while looking at a painting or watching a play, but I worry everything’s being dialed and dumbed down. We’re telling audiences they’re going to be scared before they’ve watched something.”

Smith, who is starring in British horror film Starve Acre, recalled renting Slither, Basic Instinct, Disclosure, and Friday the 13th when he was “too young.

The BFI Southbank in London saw the return of the Starve Acre family, many months after the film’s debut at the 2023 London Film Festival.

Tonight we returned to the red carpet with them for the Starve Acre UK Premiere. Directed and written by Daniel Kokotajlo from the novel by Andrew Michael Hurley, the film stars Matt Smith, Morfydd Clark, Erin Richards, Sean Gilder and Robert Emms.

The film will be released on the 6th of September, 2024. Colin Hart and Ethan Hart were on the red carpet, here are their interviews.

Starve Acre UK Premiere Interviews Plot:

An idyllic rural family life of a couple is thrown into turmoil when their son starts acting out of character

The post Starve Acre UK Premiere Interviews: Morfydd Clark, Daniel Kokotajlo & more on the haunting new film appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Ready to go back to Rome? Ridley Scott is returning to the Colosseum for a fresh bout of gladiatorial combat in long-awaited sequel Gladiator II – ready to conjure up more breathtaking battles, and another gripping revenge story. The new issue of Empire is nearly here, set to transport you into the heart of the action – on newsstands from Thursday 29 August. Order a copy online here.

But before the magazine hits the shelves, here’s a sneak peek inside its pages.

Gladiator II

Ready to be entertained? Empire steps into the arena with Ridley Scott to talk the wild making of his historical epic sequel – speaking to new hero Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, and the returning Connie Nielsen. Armour up!

Megalopolis

Francis Ford Coppola doesn’t do things by halves. In a major new interview, he tells Empire about the 40-year journey to bring his future-America-meets-Roman-Empire fable to the...

The first season of The Rings of Power was released to much fanfare, but also received heavy criticism from audiences. Morfydd Clark recounted her experience facing backlash against her depiction of the iconic Middle Earth character.

Morfydd said she was overwhelmed by criticism over her portrayal of Galadriel during Season 1 of The Rings of Power. "I was just totally unprepared when Season 1 came out," she told Elle, referring to reactions from both Tolkien fans and casual audiences on social media. There's a silver lining to the backlash, however. "I've seen a really dark side of what it means to be someone who [anyone] can write a message to on Instagram, and a really lovely side," she asserted. Clark proved she can take on epic roles with notable performances in Saint Maud, Starve Acre, and her first film Madame Bovary; she said she's taking recent criticism in stride, and the positive reception keeps her going.

In The Rings of Power Season 1, Galadriel and Sauron's paths were closely intertwined, leading to a shocking revelation for Galadriel. Sauron deceived her until the very end when he showed his true identity. It was a critical moment in the season that set the stage for their complex relationship in Season 2, which is now almost upon us.

Morfydd Clark, who plays Galadriel, offered some insights into what fans can expect from the dynamic of the two leads in the upcoming season during an interview with Screenrant for her horror film Starve Acre, saying,

"The mortal enemies hate each other even more than before, and they're looking even better than they ever did."

The Rings of Power TV-14ActionAdventureFantasyDrama Release Date September 2, 2022Main Genre FantasyCast Morfydd Clark, Nazanin Boniadi, Benjamin Walker, Robert Aramayo, Cynthia Addai-RobinsonSeasons 1Studio Amazon Studios, Harper Collins Publishers, New Line CinemaFranchise Lord of the Rings Expand

Morfydd...

The following contains spoilers for Starve Acre, now playing in select theaters and is available for digital purchase

Starve Acre is a chilling horror movie that hits harder for new parents, preying on universal fears. The film blends supernatural elements with parental grief, highlighting the horror of losing a child. Starve Acre's ending showcases the terrifying lengths parents may go to, leaving a haunting impact.

Starve Acre is a very good horror movie on its own merits, but it's especially terrifying new parents like me. As a movie fan who became a father last July, I've been steadily seeing films in entirely new lights. This is probably most pronounced with the horror genre, which has a history of subverting the classical family structure in their storytelling. One of the best recent examples of how more impactful some horror movies hit me now that I'm a Dad is Starve Acre,...

Starve Acre, based on Andrew Michael Hurley's book, is a gothic horror film available for streaming now. Directed by Daniel Kokotajlo, the movie follows a couple dealing with tragedy and sinister forces. The film's aesthetic was inspired by '70s horror films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Based on the book by Andrew Michael Hurly, Starve Acre is currently available to stream on demand. The film follows a married couple who seek professional help after their son displays frightening behavior. When an unimaginable tragedy occurs, Juliette and Richard begin to drift apart, unable to cope with their grief. Something evil is lurking in the countryside, and the family finds themselves falling victim to its pull during their darkest hour.

The gothic horror movie stars Matt Smith (House of the Dragon), Morfydd Clark (The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power), Arthur Shaw, Erin Richards, and Robert Emms.

House of the Dragon star Matt Smith helped calm Morfydd Clark's nerves about leading The Rings of Power with his playful presence off-screen. Clark admitted Smith soothed some of her anxieties about leading a major show. Clark will return as Galadriel in The Rings of Power season 2.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star Morfydd Clark reveals how House of the Dragons Matt Smith helped to prepare her for her leading role. Previously having starred in supporting roles such as Mina Harker in Netflixs 2020 Dracula series and Sister Clara in HBOs His Dark Materials, Clark would eventually come to lead Prime Videos Rings of Power as a younger, more tempestuous version of the future Elven Queen, Galadriel. However, before Rings of Powers season 1 debut, she filmed a Gothic horror movie, Starve Acre, alongside House of the Dragons Smith.

Speaking with Screen Rant about Starve Acres digital release,...

Galadriel and Sauron's relationship in The Rings of Power season 2 will be full of hate and intensity. The dynamic between the mortal enemies will escalate to new heights in the upcoming season. The Rings of Power season 2 returns on August 29.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star Morfydd Clark hints at Galadriel and Sauron's relationship in season 2. Season 1 of the Prime Video series saw the two characters' journeys closely intertwined, with Galadriel only learning at the end of the season that the man she had been traveling with and grown close to was the villainous Sauron in disguise.

During Screen Rant's interview with Clark for the horror film Starve Acre, she was asked to tease what to expect between Galadriel and Sauron in season 2. Check out her response below:

I'm always very scared to tease. I would just say the mortal enemies hate each other even more than before,...

Embrace the chilling atmosphere of nature encroaching in this gothic horror film Starve Acre. Dive into the tragedy that drives a wedge between parents Juliette and Richard, leading to catastrophic events. Enjoy the dynamic between fantasy actors Morfydd Clark and Matt Smith, as they navigate grief and folklore.

Starve Acre is a gothic horror directed by Daniel Kokotajlo and based on Andrew Michael Hurly's fiction book of the same name. Set in the British landscape, the film follows parents Juliette and Richard as they attempt to navigate the aftermath of a horrific tragedy. The grief drives a wedge between the couple, with Richard turning to archeology as a reprieve. However, what he finds in the countryside defies the laws of nature and sets a cataclysmic chain of events into motion.

The cast is led by world-renowned fantasy actors Morfydd Clark (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) and...

Heather Graham’s chosen family is growing.

The actress-turned-filmmaker’s latest big-screen effort, Chosen Family, has been acquired by Brainstorm Media for North America with a theatrical release set for Oct. 11.

Written, directed by and starring Graham, the Verdi Prods. film also stars John Brotherton, Ella Grace Helton, Andrea Savage, Michael Gross, Julie Halston, Thomas Lennon and Julia Stiles. Chosen Family follows a yoga teacher named Ann (Graham) who is on a path to find inner peace amidst the chaos of her manic family and miserable dating life. The situation is complicated by an inability to say no and her relentless desire to fix everyone’s problems. She also struggles to save her sister Clio (Stiles) from addiction, leading to disastrous results.

Graham said she can’t wait for audiences to see her film, which she describes as a labor of love. “I’m so excited that Brainstorm is releasing...

We spoke with Doctor Jekyll director Joe Stephenson leading up to the release of his new British horror film that is reigniting the famed Hammer Films brand. Since 1934, the studio which wasn't initially involved in Stephenson's film but would later lend its hand has produced acclaimed projects that feature the iconic characters of Frankenstein, Dracula, and more. And now, Stephenson has helmed a modern reimagining of the famed 1886 novella about two other fictional icons: Jekyll & Hyde.

"I was always using references of British horror of the past and always structuring it as a slow-burn kind of energy heading towards a chaotic climax," Stephenson told MovieWeb about the development process. "That kind of was a bit of like, really what they did in the '60s and '70s. A lot of those films have that slow-burn beginning, just people wandering around saying that things look spooky, and then chaos.

Welsh actress Morfydd Clark steals the show as Galadriel in The Rings of Power, and she's continuing in the dark fantasy genre on the big screen between seasons one and two. The movie is Starve Acre, which is now available in theaters and on demand. Clark stars alongside the lead in another hit fantasy show: House of the Dragon's Matt Smith. Together, they lead a chilling and suspenseful new folk horror film set in the 1970s that screams goth and introduces an eery world that might even benefit from a sequel or two.

We recently caught up with Clark to learn more about her starring role in Starve Acre, how co-star Matt Smith once helped her prepare for her first-ever press tour back when The Rings of Power was debuting, and an upcoming Shakespearean project of hers that also stars Riz Ahmed.

Nature: 'The Ultimate Winner' \nBFI Distribution"">

Starve Acre...

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...

Quick Links Clark and Smith Are Parents Struggling in Opposite Ways An Impressively Haunting Atmosphere The Slow Burn Is Worth It

Deciding which parental character you favor more in Starve Acre may come down to which hot-button fantasy series you prefer: HBO's House of the Dragon or Prime Video's The Rings of Power. Sure, we're only jesting, but you'll quickly learn that the married couple at hand in Brainstorm Media's gripping new folk horror film is played by TV stars Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark.

Starve Acre, written and directed by Daniel Kokotajlo, working off the acclaimed novella by Andrew Michael Hurley, is a slow-burn delight that pays off in spades by the terrifying end. You just need to put in the work to get there, but we can confirm the waiting game is gripping enough to make the 98-minute runtime worth it.

Clark and Smith Are Parents Struggling...

She's the one you're rooting for in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, especially by the end of the Prime Video series' epic first season. After all, Welsh actress Morfydd Clark steals the show as Galadriel. Since season two of The Rings of Power is right around the corner (releasing Aug. 29), Clark was able to tease what's to come with the highly anticipated next installment without revealing too much, of course. "I love mortal enemies and particularly mortal enemies that are very well-dressed. And I think we've got that extra in this one," Clark told MovieWeb. "So I'm really excited for people to see mortal enemies."

Clark is referring to the character Halbrand, played by Charlie Vickers, whom she shared numerous scenes with in season one. Halbrand has a dark side, as viewers ultimately discover. "He's very good at what he's doing. He's unfortunately evil and incredibly competent,...

A mere few years ago, the notion that a subgenre as strange and specific as folk horror becoming overexposed seemed unlikely. But with the one-two punch of Robert Eggers’ The Witch (2016) and Ari Aster’s Midsommar (2019) – films that brought more modern concerns surrounding gender dynamics and romantic/familial relationships into the genre – and the work and dedication of film scholar Kier-La Janisse (whose 2021 documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror might well be the final word on the subject), stories of pagan cult sacrifice and shape-shifting bog witches have become practically mainstream in a world as technologically detached from its primeval roots as its ever been. Enter Starve Acre, an adaptation of the book by Andrew Michael Hurley which started as a bogus “lost novel” supposedly written in 1972 and originally published by Dead Ink Books attributed to a “Jonathan Buckley.” Hurley himself has been a force...

Even without having read Andrew Michael Hurley’s novel, I can almost say with certainty that Daniel Kokotajlo’s film aligns its thematic course with that of the book. That’s why there’s so little on-the-nose elucidation about the mythology that ensnares the family in Starve Acre. And giving us so much to read between the lines and the imagery is what adds to the anxiety Kokotajlo’s film wants us to feel about the uncertainty of, well, everything.

Spoiler Alert

What happens in the film?

Something must’ve happened with Owen for Richard and Juliette to have given Yorkshire country life a chance. It’s never just about the fresh air and the open expanses, is it? But Starve Acre is reluctant to inspect the reason behind the move. And we’re actually two years into Richard and Juliette’s life at Starve Acre, the estate and the...

While Longlegs continues to make a killing at the box office, six more brand new horror movies are out today. They feature sharks, werewolves, and even a trip back to the Overlook Hotel.

Here’s all the new horror released on Friday, July 26, 2024!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

A couple unwittingly allows dark and sinister forces into their home when their son begins behaving strangely in Starve Acre, released into theaters and on VOD beginning today.

Starring Matt Smith (His House) and Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud), Starve Acre is written and directed by Daniel Kokotajlo based on the book by Andrew Michael Hurly.

“1970s, rural England. Richard and Juliette’s seemingly idyllic family life is thrown into turmoil when their son starts acting out of character. At Starve Acre, their remote family home, archaeologist Richard buries himself in exploring a folkloric myth that...

by Chad Kennerk

Matt Smith in Starve Acre.

Photo by Chris Harris, Courtesy of Brainstorm Media.

Starve Acre is a gothic folktale for the modern age. Based on the novel and novella of the same name by author Andrew Michael Hurley, Starve Acre concerns Richard and Juliette (Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark), a couple who find themselves facing the unthinkable. When their son Owen begins exhibiting strange behaviour, the pair move to Richard’s countryside childhood home in the hope of a fresh start. As dark forces encroach, the family finds themselves engulfed in a land marked by a hellish history.

Told among the chilling northern landscapes and shot across Yorkshire, the eerie entry marks the second feature from writer/director Daniel Kokotajlo — who previously earned a 2019 Bafta nomination for Apostasy. Kokotajlo’s ode to 70s British folk-horror held its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival in October...

When it comes to horror, you're casting a pretty wide net, depending on the tone and the mood of the movie. Whether you're dabbling in the realm of chainsaw-wielding killers or eerie ghosts, there's a certain vibe that you'll be picking up. For director Daniel Kokotajlo's sophomore feature film Starve Acre, I think we can safely call it Gothic dread. Dabbling in the supernatural and folk horror, Starve Acre follows the couple Richard (Matt Smith) and Juliette (Morfydd Clark) as they struggle through the recent death of their son while facing off against the odious landscape of a rural home in Yorkshire. Based on the Andrew Michael Hurley novel of the same name, the film chronicles Richard and Juliette's mourning period, with the heartbreak of losing a son pushing them apart while they are isolated in Richard's rural family home. Kokotajlo weaves a haunting narrative, but the film stumbles at the midway mark,...

Morfydd Clark in Starve Acre Photo: Chris Harris

British director Daniel Kokotajlo's sophomore feature Starve Acre, sees him shift his focus from the Jehovah's Witness faith and the fallout following a young woman's transgression in his début feature Apostasy, to British folk horror.

Based on Andrew Michael Hurley's 2019 novel of the same name, set in 1970s rural Yorkshire, the life of academic archaeologist Richard Willoughby (Matt Smith) and his wife Juliette (Morfydd Clark) is upturned by the sudden death of their young son, Owen. Richard throws himself into his work, exploring a myth connected to his property, while Juliette reaches out to the community. Soon, they become preoccupied by a sinister force that has crept across their threshold, that brings with it the opportunity for an unexpected reconnection.

In conversation with Eye For Film, Kokotajlo discussed the tradition of British folk horror and its resurgence, his artistic background...

Despite the whirlwind tragedy of its opening act, Starve Acre is not rushing to get anywhere. With his second feature, writer-director Daniel Kokotajlo wants us to breathe in as much of Starve Acre’s rancid air as our lungs can tolerate. Capturing the English countryside’s ethereal black magic with patience and awe,...

Richard and Juliette are still grieving the loss of their young son Owen as they settle into their new home, the remote Yorkshire farmhouse called Starve Acre. Still reeling from the tragedy that led them to leave London, they hope the country air will allow Juliette time to heal.

But all is not as it seems at Starve Acre. Strange noises wake Owen in the night, and Richard discovers unsettling journals left by his father, who owned the farm years ago. The journals speak of dark folklore and beings that haunt the surrounding lands.

As Richard and Juliette grieve in separate ways, he throws himself into excavations on the farm, unearthing bones and relics that seem to exert a sinister power. She retreats inward, struggling with guilt and pain. Uncanny events escalate around them as Richard delves further into his father’s disturbing research.

Daniel Kokotajlo’s atmospheric direction immerses us in the era,...

Things get supernatural and sinister when a couple unwittingly awaken dark forces in Starve Acre, and an exclusive new clip highlights just how unsettling things will get when the locals get menacing.

Brainstorm Media releases Starve Acre in theaters and On Demand on July 26, 2024.

Starring Matt Smith (His House) and Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud) in the lead roles, Starve Acre is written and directed by Daniel Kokotajlo based on the book by Andrew Michael Hurly.

About Starve Acre, set in “1970s, rural England. Richard and Juliette’s seemingly idyllic family life is thrown into turmoil when their son starts acting out of character. At Starve Acre, their remote family home, archaeologist Richard buries himself in exploring a folkloric myth that the ancient oak tree on their land is imbued with phenomenal powers. While Juliette turns to the local community to find some kind of peace, Richard obsessively digs deeper. An...

Writer/Director Daniel Kokotajlo adheres to classic folk horror convention with Starve Acre, based on the book by Andrew Michael Hurly. It’s not just the 1970s rural setting or spiritual locals that call to mind foundational films like The Wicker Man but the methodical unfurling of its folklore and escalating horror. It makes for a stunning throwback feature grounded by two compelling leads but one too narratively and thematically sparse to make much of an impact.

Starve Acre introduces Richard, an archeologist who’s recently moved his wife Juliette and son Owen (Arthur Shaw) to his childhood home in the bucolic British countryside for work. Juliette, unaware that Richard’s memories of the home aren’t happy ones, feels that the move will be good for young Owen. Never mind that Richard spends most of his waking hours obsessing over his late father’s artifacts and collections, all related...

2024 has been a great year for horror so far, with a mix of returning franchises and fresh, original ideas. Upcoming horror movies in 2024 offer a lot of variety, catering to all fans of the genre. Big-name directors like M. Night Shyamalan, Robert Eggers, and Tim Burton are contributing to a bumper year for horror fans.

2024 still has plenty of treats for horror movie fans yet to come. 2024 has been a great year for horror so far, with a great mix of styles to breathe new life into the genre. There have been new entries into popular franchises, including A Quiet Place: Day One and The First Omen, but there have also been plenty of fresh, original ideas. Movies like I Saw the TV Glow and Longlegs have been met with critical acclaim.

Despite this run of great horror movies, fans can expect much more to come in the second half...

This year continues to bless horror movie aficionados and Daniel Kokotajlo’s Starve Acre proves to be no different, cementing itself as a worthwhile entry in the genre in 2024. However, it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, as it fancies slow-burn, cerebral mind-messing rather than full-blown scares at every turn. In short, it unsettles […]

Starve Acre Movie Review – Matt Smith & Morfydd Clark Provide a Feast in This Folk Horror Written by Sergio Pereira for Fortress of Solitude...

2024 has been a strong year for the horror genre, with several critically acclaimed films released in the first half alone. A wide range of approaches to the genre has left audiences unsettled in the best way possible. Upcoming horror films in the second half of 2024 include Starve Acre, Longlegs, Cuckoo, and more.

The cinematic horror genre has been having one of the best years I've ever seen. 2024 has been full of ups and downs at the box office, with surprising weak performances from seemingly surefire blockbusters like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Fall Guy (that have been finding far better luck with home releases). However, while horror films might not be breaking the box office, there have been several impressive scary films across the first half of 2024 that have earned rave reviews and solid results in theaters.

As a horror fan, I've been ecstatic with this development. The...