The Folk Horror Revival

Folk horror is a subgenre that is a bit difficult to define. Originating in the UK in the late 60's, folk horror essentially focuses on the dark side of folklore, pagan rites, and the occult, often set against the backdrop of a secluded area in the countryside. Examples of folk horror films include the controversial 1968 Vincent Price film Witchfinder General, and Robin Hardy's iconic horror The Wicker Man. Folk horror usually deals with an individual or individuals from a more modern era, clashing with ancient rites and ideologies that have survived the test of time in isolated parts of the British countryside. They tend to look at themes such as morality, religion, and the old world vs the new, often placing a great emphasis on pagan rituals or witchcraft. It is a fascinating, yet short lived subgenre of horror that peaked in the late 60's and early 70's, a time when horror really began to evolve. Folk horror may have been a short lived craze, but in recent years it appears to have made a comeback. Within the past decade the popularity of folk horror has resurfaced, with many films starting to delve into that world of mysticism and the occult yet again. With a growing list of films in this folk horror renaissance, I thought I would focus on five that I feel really embody what the subgenre represented all those years ago. Mild spoilers ahead.

Cults and Killers- Kill List (2011)

Kill List is a clever sort of horror film in the sense that it doesn't initially let you know that it is a horror film. Instead it plays out like a mystery/thriller about a pair of hitmen taking on one last job, while the horror gradually reveals itself over time. Kill List follows a typical formula of folk horror in that an outsider from the modern world- in this case Jay (Neil Maskell)- is pulled into this world of ancient rites and rituals. The film is very reminiscent of The Wicker Man in this sense, the formula, the tone, even the twig masks worn by the cultists at the end of the film are reminiscent of the eponymous Wicker Man itself. It's a slow-burning psychological horror that that focuses more on the tone and atmosphere than on the explicit scares themselves. Again, like The Wicker Man, the film has an extremely unsettling ending that involves a cult carrying out some sort of sacrifice. I'll say no more, because it really is a film that needs to be seen for yourself. Director Ben Wheatley essentially kicked off the revival of folk horror with Kill List. This tale of a man being unwittingly drawn into the world of this strange cult ticked all of the boxes on what exactly folk horror is, and its success inspired the director to delve into similar territory a few years later..

Mushrooms and Mysticism- A Field In England (2013)

As I've mentioned, folk horror films are often set in secluded, rural areas, and you can't get much more rural and secluded than a literal field in England. Set during the English civil war, this interesting period piece follows a group of deserters who, after encountering a malevolent alchemist (Michael Smiley), are forced to search for fabled treasure within the field. Alchemy and the occult are themes that are often dealt with in folk horror, and they are central themes in A Field in England. The character of O'Neill is an alchemist himself and performs strange rites throughout including the torture of central character Whitehead (Reece Shearsmith) to turn him into a mindless divining rod. It is a bizarre sequence that brings a certain level of surrealism to the film that gradually builds up as it progresses. This eventually culminates in the climax during a hypnotic mushroom trip scene where Whitehead and O'Neill engage in a psychedelic face-off, by far the films most iconic scene. Another theme dealt with here that is also quite popular in folk horror is the landscape. There is great emphasis put onto the field itself and the folklore surrounding it, a combination of O'Neill's abuse and magic mushrooms breathes life into the field and gives the impression that the landscape almost has a mind of its own. It's a different sort of horror film that places a lot of emphasis on imagery through its cinematography, the costumes, and the fact that it was shot in black and white. Its a much more experimental film than Kill List, and an intriguing one at that, prepare to have your brain well and truly fried.

Forests and Faeries- The Hallow (2015)

Taking place in Ireland this time, The Hallow is an interesting blend of folk horror and monster movies. Set in an isolated Irish woodland, the film follows a land surveyor and his family who arrives in order to survey the land in preparation for logging. Straight off the bat, the film is soaked in mood and atmosphere, and gradually builds up to the horrific events that eventually unfold. While it is essentially a monster movie at heart, the film bares many of the characteristics of folk horror such at the tone, the isolated setting, and the emphasis on the old world vs the new. The film deals with the modern world attempting to interfere with nature and how nature fights back, taking form in these grotesque woodland creatures from folklore. Ireland is a country rich in folklore which makes it the perfect setting for a folk horror film, putting a dark spin of tales of the faerie people and changelings. The design of the faerie people is very much tied in to nature and the landscape, they've got this skeletal, tree-like appearance that makes their presence in the woodland a lot more convincing. They're not happy little fairy's flying about, they're grotesque monsters almost, that blend into the landscape around them. Again, the film deals with this formula of a stranger from the modern world coming into conflict with the ancient world, but instead of cultists or alchemists, this time it is the monsters from legend out to kill the protagonist. It's a slow burning and moody creature feature from director Corin Hardy, that immerses itself in this world of nature and mythology, making for a different sort of folk horror altogether.

Seclusion and Sorcery- The Witch (2016)

One of my favourite horror films of the decade, The Witch is a dark folktale set in the early days of the British colonies in New England. Following a family who settle in an isolated clearing, the film follows how they cope when faced with the prospect of evil being present in the woods around them, specifically witchcraft. The overall style is very reminiscent of films like Witchfinder General, from the clothes, to the setting, to the language used in the film, there is excellent attention to detail used here in order to convincingly recreate the past. The Witch focuses heavily on the theme of religion, in this case the puritan family vs the black magic and witchcraft being used against them. At many occasions throughout the film we watch as the family pray and strictly discuss their faith with each other, highlighting the importance of their religion to them. Any other beliefs outside of their religion are seen as evil, which is why the prospect of witchcraft is so threatening to them. Much like The Wicker Man, the film deals with devout members of an organised religion who come under threat from a much older belief. Another common element of folk horror present here is realism. Often when the films deal with the occult it is not in a fantastic or magical way, it's more subtle and grounded, making its presence in the real world more believable. Here, witchcraft is not presented as people in pointy hats holding wands and broomsticks, but instead it involves complex rituals involving nature and death. It's a much more grounded sort of supernatural horror which is commonplace in folk horror films, this is arguably one of the most influential films in the folk horror revival.

Rites and Rituals- A Dark Song (2017)

As I have mentioned, the way in which folk horror deals with sorcery and the occult is much more grounded and realistic than in other media. The most recent film here, A Dark Song, is a prime example of this. Set in an isolated house in the countryside, the film follows a grieving mother who enlists the help of an occultist in order to perform a ritual to contact her dead son. The ritual itself is central to this psychological horror, and writer/director Liam Gavin pours so much detail into it. The ritual is not just a group of people merely chanting around a fire, but instead it is a complex and intricate series of events that take place over the course of a month. Certain aspects of the ritual include fasting, abstinence, and sheer endurance, and we see how truly intense it is as protagonist Sophia (Catherine Walker) slowly begins to lose her grip on reality. It is an extremely tense film immersed in paranoia, and the more it progresses, the more the worlds of the natural and the supernatural begin to intertwine. That slow burning atmosphere so commonplace in folk horror works wonders here, and as the audience we can almost feel Sophia's pain as she undergoes the ritual. While the film does become a lot more stranger as it progresses, essentially it retains all the characteristics of folk horror. The isolated rural setting, the tone, the interaction between the ancient and modern worlds, this is very much folk horror. On top of that, the sheer attention to detail poured into the central ritual is truly incredible and manages to bring layers upon layers of realism to the film itself.

As you can see, folk horror is definitely making a clear comeback. With the sheer abundance of jumpscare-heavy supernatural horrors in the modern horror landscape, the reemergence of folk horror truly is a blessing. It's a much more subtle brand of horror that plays on the mind as opposed to merely opting to shock. Whether it will be as short lived as its initial run all those years ago is unclear, but if one thing is certain, folk horror is definitely in again, and what a wonderful prospect that is.