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Review

A star rating of 3 out of 5.

After his glossy adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, British director Ben Wheatley revisits his untamed roots with a flawed yet entertaining woods chiller. Shot during the 2020 lockdown and set during a pandemic, the film stars Joel Fry as an endearingly hapless newcomer to a forest research site. When he and park ranger Ellora Torchia enter the woods to locate an elusive doctor, a nocturnal assault slowly leads to a torrid tale of madness, mysticism and mycorrhizal networks. Echoes of Wheatley's earlier films suggest a director positioned squarely in his comfort zone - there's the mounting unease of Kill List, the 'shroom shocks of A Field in England, and the bleak comedy of Sightseers. The director's tonal grip slips with a third act that succumbs to psychedelic overload but, prior to that, Wheatley engages with his intuitive flair for unsettling performances and details. If Reece Shearsmith's slanted cameo as a wild-eyed woodsman doesn't rattle you, the DIY surgery sequences will.

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Credits

Cast

rolename
Martin LoweryJoel Fry
AlmaEllora Torchia
Dr Olivia WendleHayley Squires
Zach WhiteheadReece Shearsmith
Lord James KarelJohn Hollingworth
Dr Frank JarrekMark Monero

Crew

rolename
DirectorBen Wheatley

Details

Theatrical distributor
Universal
Released on
2021-06-17
Languages
English | Latin
Guidance
Violence, swearing
Formats
Colour
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