Starve Acre

Daniel Kototajlo’s adaptation of Andrew Michael Hurley’s 70s ghost story Starve Acre is a winning piece of folk horror

Film Review by Heather Bradshaw | 04 Sep 2024
  • Starve Acre
Film title: Starve Acre
Director: Daniel Kokotajlo
Starring: Morfydd Clark, Matt Smith, Erin Richards, Sean Gilder, Arthur Shaw, Robert Emms, Melanie Kilburn
Release date: 6 Sep
Certificate: 15

A tonal departure from his deeply personal debut Apostasy, Daniel Kototajlo’s adaptation of the horror novel Starve Acre displays much artistry and a knack for horror filmmaking.  

In the rural Yorkshire countryside, Archaeology professor Richard (Matt Smith) and his wife Jules (Morfydd Clark) mourn the sudden death of their young son at Richard’s inherited family home, the eponymous Starve Acre. As Jules descends into a grief-stricken madness, Richard begins to uncover the history of the estate and his late father’s fascination with a mysterious figure known as Dandelion Jack. Buried deep beneath the wild dales surrounding them lies more than just ancient fossilised roots and animal bones, as dark family secrets and local folklore begin to seep through into Richard and Jules’ tense reality. Impressively theatrical performances from Smith and Clark capture a desperately unsettling trajectory of grief, with the couple’s shared bereavement a process of rebirth they will nurture for their entire lives. 

Kokotajlo’s sharp writing brings new dramatic flare and introspection to Andrew Michael Hurley’s 70s ghost story, while the cinematography, with its muted colour palette and suitably grainy textures, pays homage to Hurley’s comprehensive gothic landscapes. In an effort to capture the book’s notable tonality, though, the film moves a little too quickly into its world-building, making the narrative pace a little jarring. However, as the lore of Starve Acre settles into itself, Kokotajlo’s eerie second feature presents a worthy, modern-day folk horror that surpasses many recent cinematic entries into the genre.

Released 6 Sep by BFI; certificate 15