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Starve Acre

Play trailer 2:05 Poster for Starve Acre 2024 1h 38m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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82% Tomatometer 72 Reviews 51% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
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.
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Starve Acre

Starve Acre

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Critics Consensus

Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark are terrific as embattled parents in Starve Acre, an upsetting folk horror tale that locates the doom in domesticity.

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Critics Reviews

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David Hughes Time Out 09/11/2024
3/5
Although Kokotajlo doesn’t feel entirely at home in the horror genre, he is clearly a talent to be reckoned with. Perhaps he’s at his best when working -- as he did with Apostasy -- with more personal material. Go to Full Review
Wendy Ide Observer (UK) 09/10/2024
3/5
Some pleasingly icky special effects add to the general sense of mouldering menace. Where the picture stumbles, however, is in its almost total lack of effective scares. Go to Full Review
Mark Kermode Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube) 09/09/2024
Definitively worth checking out. Go to Full Review
Gavin Spoors FILMHOUNDS Magazine Aug 20
2/5
Starve Acre might satisfy those hungry for British folklore horror, but there's no denying that this serving is undercooked. Go to Full Review
Cameron Ritter Geek Vibes Nation Jul 20
7/10
The performances alone deserve checking this one out, and the craftsmanship and story make it all the more worthy. Go to Full Review
Chris Joyce Movies and Munchies (YouTube) Mar 12
2/5
Had the plot divulged more of the background, this folk horror could have been both freaky and memorable. What we get instead is a meandering tale of a family coming apart where the narrative only realizes what it wants to do right at the end. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Si R Nov 12 I enjoyed this film. I’d give it a 7/10. I loved the slow pace, the atmosphere and the story. I liked the animatronic hare. It was creepy and harked back to old moving making methods including stop go animation. I’d like to see more films like this. See more Kyle M Nov 1 Another intangibly bland, eerily built “horror” on folklore that tackles on grief with maddening numbness through the gradually soulless, disconnected performances. (C-) See more Tanya V @TuneVK Jul 26 Despite a brief slow moment or two in the center of this film, the excellent acting and gradual breakdown of reason and control between the main characters presents great tension and makes this one worth a watch. The atmosphere alone - if you like a foggy, wet, British countryside mood - is wonderful, and you experience grief and frustration and wonder and horror as the characters lose their grip. See more Jul 24 I didn’t get it. But Matt Smith looked real good with long hair See more Anthony M Apr 20 A slow burner that generates a genuine atmosphere of dread. See more Christopher H Mar 24 Technically, 'Starve Acre' is a well-crafted film, though the practical animal effects were somewhat lacking. The acting is strong, and the musical score complements the melancholy atmosphere perfectly. The English countryside setting, which I believe is meant to evoke the 1970s, is beautifully captured. As an American, I found the accents a bit challenging, but the performances seemed solid. However, despite the film's technical merits, the pacing is incredibly slow. The first thirty minutes are particularly uneventful, bordering on tedious. While the cinematography and sound design are sublime, the story itself struggles to maintain interest. And let's be honest, the leading man's appearance is... unique. He resembles a cross between an Easter Island statue and a goblin, with prominent ears that are quite distracting. The film feels like a 'nothing burger' until a sudden, bizarre ending arrives. While logically sound, the conclusion feels abrupt and somewhat nonsensical. I suspect the folktale it's based on might offer a more compelling narrative. In summary, 'Starve Acre' is technically impressive but ultimately hampered by its slow pacing and an odd, unsatisfying conclusion. It's an aesthetically pleasing film, but not one that delivers a particularly engaging story. See more Read all reviews
Starve Acre

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Starve Acre

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Movie Info

Synopsis 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.
Director
Daniel Kokotajlo
Producer
Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Derrin Schlesinger, Emma Duffy
Screenwriter
Daniel Kokotajlo
Distributor
Brainstorm Media
Production Co
Access Entertainment, House Productions, British Film Institute (BFI), BBC Film
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 26, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 26, 2024
Runtime
1h 38m
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