Starve Acre

2024 1h 38m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 113

HorrorDramaFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When their son starts acting strangely, a couple unwittingly allow dark and sinister forces into their home, awakening a long-dormant ancient evil rooted deep in the countryside.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Matt Smith
Richard
Morfydd Clark
Juliette
Arthur Shaw
Owen
Erin Richards
Harrie
Sean Gilder
Gordon
Melanie Kilburn
Mrs. Forde
Robert Emms
Steven
Roger Barclay
Dr. Monk

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Daniel Kokotajlo
Writers: Daniel Kokotajlo
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 2 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Daniel Kokotajlo, shot by Adam Scarth. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Matthew Herbert. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Brenna Rangott shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark and Arthur Shaw carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt17521612 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Daniel Kokotajlo directs. Adam Scarth behind the camera. Matthew Herbert scores. Brenna Rangott cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 2 years ago.
2International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
3Directed by Daniel Kokotajlo, shot by Adam Scarth. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Matthew Herbert. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Brenna Rangott shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark and Arthur Shaw carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt17521612 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Adam Scarth
Original score: Matthew Herbert
Editing: Brenna Rangott
Production design: Francesca Massariol
Costume design: Emma Fryer
Makeup / hair: Zoe McCaffrey
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Starve Acre (2024)

Also by

Daniel Kokotajlo

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-09-12
★ 6/10
"Richard" (Matt Smith), his wife "Jules" (Morfydd Clark) and their young son "Owen" (Arthur Shaw) have moved back to his late father's remote hill farm. Not long after they arrive the young, asthmatic, lad starts to hear a voice that seems to be compelling him to become erratic, even violent. Before his parents get to the bottom of this, though, there's a tragedy that upends their marriage and sees him spend an increasing amount of time doing what he like to do best - archeology. He is out in all weathers and one day discovers the skeleton of an animal. Meticulously boxing it up, he takes into his study to examine it further. Boy is he in for a surprise and what now ensues takes us all back into his unhappy childhood with a brutish and unloving father and lots of standing about in his underpants. It's starting to look like the folklore surrounding an ancient oak tree that might have been an entrance to the underworld and maybe even the legendary "Dandelion Jack" might be influencing their behaviour as their lives take a turn for the distinctly bizarre. It does fall into place a little at the end, but for the most part this all centres around a jigsaw puzzle of a story with too many bits missing. Even if you do know a little about the underpinning mythology, the narrative still has too many gaps. It might make for a solid enough short film but extending this to ninety minutes puts too much pressure on the underwhelming Smith (and his hair) and the presence of her sister "Harrie" (Erin Richards) for much of their process of grief just doesn't help to create an atmosphere of menace, pity nor, really, of mystery either. There are a couple of wonderfully "Arcati" style performances from local medium "Mrs. Forde" (Melanie Kilburn) but the rest of the drama relies too heavily on it's bleak weather and heavily over-scoring. It's watchable enough, but it reminded me a little of "Enys Men" (2022) - a quirky story that provided us with some bones of the bones of an intriguing story but where near enough meat to sustain much interest.
Sejian2024-09-13
★ 7/10
Bunnies are supposed to be cute! THIS ISN'T CUTE, IT'S UNNERVING! Methinks it's about time I watch Lamb (2021). SPOILERS AHEAD! Harrie kinda annoys me, but if we consider that Dandelion Jack already has everyone under it's influence, as implied by Juliette's trance-like state at the start of the movie, I suppose I can accept the ending. From the moment she steps back into the house, heck even Richard tells her to leave, "Harrie, this is weird, get out of the damned house. Harrie, don't go in there! Harrie, don't play with that thing! DAMMIT HARRIE!"
griggs792024-09-22
★ 7/10
Starve Acre weaves together a familiar yet haunting British folk-horror narrative. In it, a man confronts dark, long-buried family secrets amidst the eerie, windswept expanse of the North Yorkshire Moors. The film’s remote setting adds an unsettling layer to the story, amplifying the isolation and creeping dread that define the genre. Morfydd Clark, known for her captivating performance in Saint Maud, once again brings quiet intensity to the screen. As a mother consumed by the devastation of grief, her portrayal is imbued with a nuanced vulnerability. Clark masterfully conveys a deep, simmering sorrow, holding the audience’s gaze as her character teeters between despair and unravelling. Even as the film spirals into a more fantastical—and arguably more chaotic—final act, Clark remains the emotional anchor, giving the film an emotional weight that lingers. On the other hand, Matt Smith takes a bolder approach, with an attempted Yorkshire accent that sometimes distracts from the atmosphere rather than enhances it. His brooding presence, marked by moments of intensity and introspection, is overemphasised by a camera that too often lingers in tight close-ups, almost intruding on the subtlety his performance has conveyed. The film’s eclectic and experimental soundtrack serves as a pulsating undercurrent, heightening tension and disorienting the viewer in all the right moments. It imbues the film with a surreal, dreamlike quality that compliments the folk-horror elements. However, this atmosphere is undermined by introducing a questionable if not laughable animatronic/CGI creature, which feels artificial despite its intended menace and diminishes the immersive experience. What could have been a powerful visual metaphor instead borders on the uncanny, pulling viewers out of the otherwise grounded horror. In the end, Starve Acre offers genuine emotional depth and atmospheric tension moments. Still, it falters when it veers too sharply into surrealism without the visual craftsmanship to back it up.