Folk horror has always thrived on the unease that lingers in rural landscapes, where ancient traditions and modern skepticism clash. Lord of Misrule (2023), directed by William Brent Bell, plants itself firmly within this tradition, offering a visually evocative but ultimately uneven journey into the heart of a village’s darkest rituals.
Story and Setting
The film centers on Rebecca Holland (Tuppence Middleton), the newly appointed vicar of Burrow, a remote English village. What begins as a quaint harvest festival quickly turns sinister when Rebecca’s daughter, Grace (Evie Templeton), is selected as the “Harvest Angel” and subsequently vanishes. As the search unfolds, Rebecca is drawn into the web of the village’s pagan customs, particularly their reverence for the enigmatic god Gallowgog. The tension escalates as the line between Christian faith and folk superstition blurs, and Rebecca must confront not only the villagers but the supernatural forces that may be at play.
Atmosphere and Visuals
From the outset, Lord of Misrule excels at crafting an eerie, oppressive atmosphere. The English countryside is rendered with a sense of both beauty and menace, and the harvest festival’s rituals are depicted with unsettling authenticity. Director Bell demonstrates a keen eye for folk horror’s visual language-strange masks, bonfires, and processions abound, immersing viewers in a world where every tradition hints at something darker beneath the surface.
Performances
Tuppence Middleton brings a grounded intensity to Rebecca, capturing the desperation and confusion of a mother caught between rationality and the village’s collective hysteria. Ralph Ineson, as the devout Jocelyn Abney, is a standout-his commanding presence and gravelly voice lend weight to every scene he inhabits, embodying the archetype of the menacing village elder with aplomb. The supporting cast, including Matt Stokoe as Rebecca’s husband Henry, provide solid, if sometimes underwritten, performances.
Themes and Execution
Lord of Misrule aspires to explore heavy themes: faith versus superstition, the pain of parental loss, and the dangers of collective belief. Unfortunately, much of this potential is buried under familiar genre tropes and a narrative that telegraphs its supernatural elements too early. The film’s commitment to ambiguity is undermined by its overt signals that something otherworldly is afoot, robbing the story of suspense and making the villagers’ complicity feel less mysterious and more inevitable.
The pacing is another stumbling block. The film unfolds slowly, relying on atmosphere and ritualistic imagery, but never quite builds the tension needed for a truly gripping folk horror experience. There are moments-particularly a visceral sequence near the climax-that hint at what the film could have been if it had embraced the raw emotional horror of its premise more fully.
Reception and Critique
Critical and audience reactions have been mixed. While some viewers appreciate the film’s adherence to folk horror conventions and its moody visuals, others find it frustratingly derivative and lacking in memorable scares or originality. The consensus is that Lord of Misrule is competently made, with flashes of strong imagery and performance, but ultimately fails to rise above the clichés of its genre.
“Lord of Misrule is not a bad film, but it is an underachieving one. The good ideas it has are buried under too much cliché to breathe.”
- ScreenRant
Final Thoughts
Lord of Misrule offers a serviceable entry into the folk horror canon, especially for fans of the genre who appreciate atmospheric world-building and ritualistic dread. However, it never quite escapes the shadow of its influences, delivering a story that feels more like a patchwork of familiar elements than a fresh harvest. The film’s strongest assets-its visuals and performances-are ultimately let down by a script that plays it too safe, leaving little to linger in the mind after the credits roll.
Rating: 2 out of 5
A visually rich but narratively underwhelming folk horror, best suited for genre completists rather than newcomers seeking a fresh scare.