Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark’s folk horror Starve Acre has confirmed its UK release date.
The film, which premiered at last year’s BFI London Film Festival to critical acclaim, will arrive in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on September 6.
Set in rural England in the 1970s, Starve Acre stars Smith and Clark as Richard and Juliette, respectively. Their idyllic family life is turned upside down when their young son starts acting out of character.
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After a sudden, tragic event drives a wedge between the once-happy couple, Richard begins to obsessively explore the myth that the ancient oak tree at their remote family home is imbued with phenomenal powers.
The couple soon find themselves dealing with sinister forces they unwittingly let into their home, though it offers the disturbing possibility of saving their relationship.
Discussing the film in a press statement, director Daniel Kokotajlo (Apostasy) said he’s a “sucker” for English folk tales like Starve Acre, which are able to “put a spell” on viewers with their “attitudes and strange sensibilities”.
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The filmmaker continued: “It’s not just horror; it ends up in a weird, off-kilter place. It can be uncomfortably quiet and sensitive, then suddenly it slaps you in your face with its oddballness. That was the aim of this film: to create a mood of nervousness.
“Making an audience nervous results in a whole range of reactions: tears, screams or giggles. It’s my idea of cathartic fun.
“Starve Acre also taps into a timeless fear that feels more relevant than ever: the idea that returning home, to nature, and regressing into childhood, is a big mistake.
“The film removes the nostalgic, rose-tinted glasses and shows us that there are dark things, long-buried superstitions, awaiting our return.”
Starve Acre will arrive in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on September 6.
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