Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Shepherd

Play trailer 2:02 Poster for Shepherd R 2022 1h 44m Horror Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
70% Tomatometer 37 Reviews 52% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Haunted by the recent death of his wife, widower Eric Black seeks solitude as a shepherd on a remote Scottish island. As the bleak desolation of the foreboding landscape and terrifying visions begin to overwhelm him, Eric is pushed to the brink of madness. SHEPHERD is a masterful, stylish, supernatural horror thriller starring Tom Hughes ("Victoria", Cemetery Junction) and Emmy winner Greta Scacci.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

Shepherd

Shepherd

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Shepherd stumbles in spots, but chilling atmosphere and a steadily building sense of dread make this a low-key treat for horror fans.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Katie Rife Polygon 05/06/2022
For Shepherd to truly transcend its rickety bits and its story clichés, it would need to come up with more resonant and creative images than Owen is able to produce here. Go to Full Review
Noel Murray Los Angeles Times 05/06/2022
While the plot here is thin (and slow-paced, and oppressively grim), Owen has a remarkable facility for generating atmosphere. Go to Full Review
Jeannette Catsoulis New York Times 05/05/2022
Callum Donaldson’s marvelously icy soundscape might be doing much of the heavy lifting, but it’s Owen’s slow and steady directing style — favoring patient reveals over swift scares — that keeps this ominous horror tale firmly on track. Go to Full Review
William Stottor Loud and Clear Reviews 07/18/2024
3/5
Shepherd is an occasionally scary story of grief and isolation, but it ultimately never does anything particularly out of the ordinary or memorable. Go to Full Review
Jessica Scott We Who Walk Here 12/17/2022
Though the narrative sometimes fails to coalesce, particularly regarding its psychological elements, it’s an effectively chilling tale that excels at establishing an eerie, mysterious mood. Go to Full Review
Dallas King Flick Feast 11/12/2022
3/5
A well crafted tale of terror. The cinematography is stunning and the sound design and score help to create an ever-increasing sense of isolation, disorientation and dread. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Eliza S Dec 1 I've seen this movie three times now (twice at the cinema) and there's something new every time, little details you don't get the first time. I love the way it was shot and the imposing Scottish landscapes which create a creepy backdrop, the real effects they used (like miniatures) you don't see a lot these days and it gives the feel that the set it real and touchable, the director has such a visual eye and the way the pieces are put together is excellent. The script is subtle and nothing is over-explained, the movie assumes a smart audience. After a few years I will probably watch again - See more Brian M 10/04/2024 The real star of the show is the cinematographer, as a good portion of the movie consists of gorgeous but grim shots of the sublime Scottish landscape accompanied by dark ambient soundscapes. Other than that, not much happens—the pacing, as is the case with many contemporary horrors, is deliberate at best, not really propelled by character motivation or any real conflict so much as a series of vague clues suggesting mysterious and supposedly sinister presence being on the island with the protagonist—a rather flat character who serves little purpose other than giving the camera an excuse for investigating the scenery. Sure, the conflict is supposedly his attempt to deal with his wife’s death, but dialogue—a key formal element a lot of contemporary horror films seem to neglect—or really any kind of characterization (other than just moping around from task to task) would push this to the forefront more than the occasional creepy dream sequence. Much of the “shocks” derive from gimmicky use of flashbacks and dreams. See more Jack S 06/03/2024 An eerily atmospheric and bleakly lonely location makes for an effective purgatory for actor Hughes (quite good here), but unfortunately not a very satisfactory or original reflection on his character’s guilt-induced madness. Very slow moving and often more confusing than scary, note also that this one is definitely not for animal lovers! See more Paulina S 02/15/2024 I watched it thinking I was gonna be scared or at least a little bit nervous. The movie is bad, really bad, it has not a good plot, it's boring. One of the worst movies I've watched in a long time. See more Jeffrey P 11/11/2023 Slow and uneventful with a stupid ending, See more brad p 02/23/2023 Shepherd‘s atmospherics remind of the brooding cinema of Robert Eggers. But while Russell Owen's sophomore effort is a step up for the director, it's held back by some thin character development. See more Read all reviews
Shepherd

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
In The Earth 79% 24% In The Earth Watchlist TRAILER for In The Earth Candyman 84% 72% Candyman Watchlist TRAILER for Candyman Pet Sematary 57% 33% Pet Sematary Watchlist TRAILER for Pet Sematary The Night House 88% 69% The Night House Watchlist TRAILER for The Night House The Cursed 71% 54% The Cursed Watchlist TRAILER for The Cursed Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Haunted by the recent death of his wife, widower Eric Black seeks solitude as a shepherd on a remote Scottish island. As the bleak desolation of the foreboding landscape and terrifying visions begin to overwhelm him, Eric is pushed to the brink of madness. SHEPHERD is a masterful, stylish, supernatural horror thriller starring Tom Hughes ("Victoria", Cemetery Junction) and Emmy winner Greta Scacci.
Director
Russell Owen
Producer
Russell Owen, Aslam Pervaiz, Karim Prince Tshibangu
Screenwriter
Russell Owen
Distributor
Saban Films
Production Co
Kindred Media Group, Golden Crab Film Production
Rating
R (Some Disturbing/Bloody Images|Language)
Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 6, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 10, 2022
Runtime
1h 44m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
Most Popular at Home Now