Set against the brooding, mist-shrouded landscapes of 1970s Yorkshire, Starve Acre (2023) is a chilling folk horror adaptation of Andrew Michael Hurley’s acclaimed novella. Directed by Daniel Kokotajlo (Apostasy) and featuring compelling performances from Matt Smith (Dr. Who) and Morfydd Clark (The Rings of Power), the film explores the effects of a child’s loss on a marriage, weaving a tapestry of atmospheric suspense and unsettling dread.

Starve Acre (DVD + Blu-ray)

• Starve Acre (DVD + Blu-ray) Director: Daniel Kokotajlo Daniel Kokotajlo’s impressive follow-up to his award-winning Apostasy is a brilliant adaptation of Andrew Michael Hurley’s acclaimed novel
• In 1970s Yorkshire, Richard and Juliette relocate to Richard’s childhood home, hoping the idyllic country surroundings will benefit their young son
• However, a sudden tragic event drives a wedge through the family, which triggers Richard, an academic archaeologist, to bury himself in obsessively exploring a local folkloric myth

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The Plot.

Richard (Matt Smith) and Jules (Morfydd Clark), seeking respite from their son Owen’s (Arthur Shaw) debilitating asthma, relocate to Richard’s isolated childhood home in rural Yorkshire.

Richard, a college lecturer specializing in history and archeology, soon begins delving into his late father’s unsettling belongings, dredging up painful memories, and the unsettling history of the property, called Starve Acre, and an ancient tree that used to grow on the heart of it. He discusses the tree with his son and they make a pact to find the roots of the tree that must surely still be buried underground somewhere.

Meanwhile, Owen’s behavior takes a disturbing turn. He struggles to integrate into the village, culminating in a disturbing act of violence against an animal during a local fair, ostracizing the family from the community. (Trigger warning: This scene depicts animal cruelty.) The isolation and escalating tension amplify the family’s growing mental strain. An unseen, malevolent presence, known as Jack Grey or Jack Dandelion, begins to manifest, weaving its way into their already fractured reality and drawing them into a terrifying descent.

Highlights.

At its core, Starve Acre is a harrowing exploration of parental grief, a theme masterfully conveyed through Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark’s exceptional performances. The film’s reliance on prolonged, intimate close-ups demands a profound emotional vulnerability. Smith and Clark navigate this vulnerability with remarkable skill, avoiding melodrama and delivering powerful performances. Their palpable chemistry, further enhanced by the film’s intimate visual style, underscores the profound tragedy at the heart of the story, moving it past mere folk horror genre conventions, showcasing the power of casting to illuminate the depths of human suffering.

Drawbacks.

The only thing that threw me off watching this movie was the pacing. It was slow, which is fine with this type of rural, atmospheric suspense, but it began to drag just a little too much. As mentioned in the highlights, the film relies on prolonged close-ups to achieve its atmosphere, this is okay when highlighting emotion, but when the camera is held on the misty rural backdrop for more than 10 seconds, I can only say that the cinematographer is overindulging just a bit.

Starve Acre Beautifully written and triumphantly creepy Mail on Sunday Paperback 29 Oct. 2020

• The worst thing possible has happened
• Richard and Juliette Willoughby’s son, Ewan, has died suddenly at the age of five
• Starve Acre, their house by the moors, was to be full of life, but is now a haunted place

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The Final Take.

Starve Acre elevates Andrew Michael Hurley’s novella in surprising ways. While the book thrives on ambiguity, the film illuminates its shadowy corners, providing a satisfying sense of clarity. This expansion enriches the overall experience, making both the film and the novella essential companions. Whether you’ve read or watched one, the other will deepen your appreciation of this unsettling tale.

The assessors investigate a potential haunting who happens to be Kristen’s (Katja Herbers) neighbor in “The Demon of the End.” David (Mike Colter) turns away from temptation and embraces his visions. Andy (Patrick Brammall) finds himself trapped and struggling. Kristen visits her mother (Christine Lahti as Sheryl) at work.

“The Demon of the End” is the tenth episode of season 3 of Evil, created by Michelle King and Robert King. The central cast includes Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, Michael Emerson, Christine Lahti, and Andrea Martin. As of this review, it’s available through Netflix and Paramount+ and its add-ons.

What I Like about “The Demon of the End”

“The Demon of the End” begins shortly after the last episode, keeping momentum with a memorable introduction. “The Angel of Warning” provides another memorable introduction, but this episode directly connects the tragedy with the characters we know. It hits hard and lingers on that emotional investment.

Li Jun Li continues her exceptional performance as Grace realizes the cost of assuming she understands her vision. One might speculate why this realization troubles her, but the moments leading to her appearance visibly haunt her.

The evolution of Andy’s (Patrick Brammall) storyline provides a few twists that suggest a focus for the character. Andy often seems like one of the characters neglected by the plot, and “The Demon of the End” provides some work in remedying this issue. While the follow through varies between episodes, it’s still effective in this episode.

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Evil: Season Three [Blu-Ray]

• Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi (Actors)
• Robert King (Director)
• Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)

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Evil: Season Three [DVD]

• Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi (Actors)
• Robert King (Director)
• Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)

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Kristen remains the central character for most plotlines, passing from each catastrophic revelation with surprisingly effective pacing. Katja Herbers chews each scene, often displaying her thoughts with her expression alone.

When Evil lets a scene simmer, it leads to some of the show’s best moments. The combined revelations at the end between the characters hold many such moments. Kristen’s final scenes of the season bring this visual storytelling to life. Small moments connect previous episodes to the current plot as everything becomes clear to Kristen and the viewer.

Tired Tropes and Triggers

This is less a trope or trigger, but a character displays a moment that suggests an OCD. It’s a brief moment with little room to make any definitive claims.

Perhaps toxic family relationships should be mentioned. However, little is unpacked at the current moment, leaving potential plotlines for season 4 to develop further or drop.

David suggests a character pray at a particularly low moment regardless of their belief. I find it benign, but it might not sit well for some. However, this is a series following assessors for the Catholic church.

What I Dislike about “The Demon of the End”

There’s nothing I particularly dislike or take issue with in “The Demon of the End.” The one criticism is that of leaving in something akin to a cliffhanger, forcing season 4 to begin with season 3’s natural conclusion. Yes, it builds anticipation, but it leads to a non-conclusion.

Final Thoughts on “The Demon of the End”

“The Demon of the End” brings the end of season 3 with a few memorable moments and directions for season 4. It ends the season by promising a future confrontation with two key characters and several mysteries to explore further. The episode mostly feels complete in its execution, though it ends right before a full conclusion.

Final Thoughts on Season 3

Season 3 is the shortest season of Evil, breaking the 13-episode trend of 1 and 2. This decision seems a positive development, allowing a more focused plot that pushes the greater narrative along. However, it is a shame that this season drew a shorter straw, considering the initial fumbling of season 2. Viewers receive a clear move toward a definitive conclusion. 
(4.5 / 5)

Named for one of my favorite Goosebumps books, The Boy Who Cried Monster shed light on a character who hasn’t gotten much attention. One that, as far as I’m concerned, needed some additional screen time.

The Story

We begin this episode with Anthony, investigating the Fort where his brother vanished. He’s surprised to find equipment that wasn’t there before, as well as an underground tunnel.

Meanwhile, CJ is having a bad time of things. After leaving a food order out on a woman’s porch, causing it to be lost, he makes up a story about zombies to explain the mistake.

After being caught, he explains to his mom that he’s bored as a delivery person. He wants to help make changes to the family restaurant.

His mother seems open to this at first. Then, CJ brings a delivery of soup to Anthony.

Anthony, it seems, hasn’t been feeling well. It must be something he ate. Or something that ripped through his suit at the Fort. By the time CJ arrives, he’s falling apart.

But he manages to pull himself together just long enough to kidnap CJ and try to feed him that same goo that infected him. The other teens save CJ just in time. And Anthony, or at least something that looks like Anthony, loses his head.

What worked

To start with, this episode was funny. Considerably funnier than the rest of the season. Part of this was the focus on CJ, easily the funniest character in the show. But it was also the fantastic acting by David Schwimmer. His line delivery, especially while doing violent things, was so inoffensive and even apologetic. It was impossible not to laugh.

I also appreciate that almost everyone is together now. After everyone finally talks to everyone else properly, all of the kids are on the same page. Even Jen is at least aware of what’s going on and working to fix things. The only one who isn’t with the team is Anthony. Or, at least whatever it is that looks like Anthony and is walking around his house.

Finally, I want to talk about our new character, Hannah. Hannah is incredibly creepy, upsetting, and almost certainly not a human being. Everything from the way she moves to the way she talks to her weird smile is unnerving. It’s as close to the uncanny valley as an actual human can get. And since the actor is a real human even if the character isn’t (we assume) that’s quite a feat.

I also loved that Devin is smitten with her right away. And we don’t know if he falls so hard because he’s a dumb teenage boy or because she’s infected him in some way. Both seem equally possible. I’m looking forward to seeing what she does through the rest of the season. Because I’m sure it isn’t going to be anything good.

What didn’t work

All that being said, this episode did have several fatal flaws. And they happen to be issues that are at the very top of my most hated tropes list.

To start with, I cannot stand the love triangle between Frankie, Devin and Trey. It feels forced, and way too much time is being spent on it. Now, I’ll grant that part of this is just because it feels like a very teenage drama storyline. And technically this is a show for teenagers and tweens. But frankly, we can stop encouraging this sort of bad storytelling for younger people. They’re smart, and this sort of thing insults their intelligence.

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The Girl Who Cried Monster (Classic Goosebumps #39)

• Goosebumps available now on Disney+!Lucy likes to tell monster stories
• She’s told so many that her friends and family are sick of it
• Then one day, Lucy discovers a real, live monster: the librarian in charge of the summer reading program

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I also hate issues that could be solved with simple conversations. If Anthony had simply talked with his kids before being replaced by a pod person, a fragile pod person, I bet a lot of these problems could have been solved earlier. This always feels like a lazy plot device. Anytime the answer is, ‘If we’d just communicated earlier this could have all been avoided,’ I am out.

Things are getting serious with just three episodes left to go. So we’ll be marathoning them this week.