Trash Arts once again shows that Britain will forever be home to innovative horror. The Sam Mason-Bell co-written and produced, Jackson Batchelor directed, I Curse This Land transposes folk horror from the dark woods to a modern seaside town. While that might sound antithetical to what the subgenre offers, the scenery switch reinvigorates the standard storyline in interesting ways.
Co-writer-producer-actor Annabella Rich stars as Ally, a young lady moving from London to a quaint small town. She’s taken over the local pub after the tragic death of the previous owner. While sprucing up the place, Ally experiences several strange phenomena, such as a harsh voice talking to her despite no one else being around and visions of an evil entity who is attempting to kill her.
The supernatural haunting is on top of the pub’s maintenance, repair, and upkeep needed to reopen. To that end, Ally enlists Mat (Chris Mills), a handyman and one of the few locals to be kind to her. Soon, the two find themselves attracted to each other, which causes the malevolent spirit (Ella Palmer) to lash out even worse than before. Why does being in love piss off whatever is haunting Ally and Mat? Can the townspeople, who know the lore behind the pub’s constant failures, do anything to help the couple?
“Why does being in love piss off whatever is haunting Ally and Mat?”
I Curse This Land explores the bonds of love and the grief that results when they are violently torn apart. The reason the sinister presence in the basement of the pub causes havoc is understandable, but still scary. The bond between Ally and Mat feels genuine, in part because the leads are together in real life. Their chemistry leaps off the screen and makes it easy for all watching to buy the attraction between the characters instantly. The parallels between the two core relationships are unmissable, and seeing how one tragedy causes the grief-stricken one to cause the same emotions in others. It’s heavy stuff, but the screenwriter handles it all with the appropriate gravity while still throwing in plenty of creepy moments, and the director keeps the atmosphere tinged with dread.
As a horror flick, this is creepy from the jump. The prologue kill sets up the danger of the situation well while offering a fun and scary moment. The first haunting Ally experiences is startling to both her and the audience, placing all watching in the lead’s shoes, so to speak. The occult trappings have a natural history to them, as this is a British film, and Rich and Mason-Bell across the pond invited folk horror cinema. In the grandest sense, this carries on that tradition by being dramatic and creepy while still using nature to further the story of the angry spirit. Placing it in the modern day makes it more relatable and engaging than a period piece would be.
Of course, if the romance or horror doesn’t work, nothing else matters. Luckily, the cast of I Curse This Land is compelling. Rich is quickly proving she can do anything thrown her way. From a traumatized actress trying to break the cycle of abuse to a crazed slasher killer, her range is undeniable. As the quiet pub owner who is in over her head, Rich displays a universal quality that instantly makes the viewers empathize and relate to her. Mills has never been more charming, as a pseudo-first date proves. He also sells the horror well, with a nightmare (sort of) feeling that is most uneasy to witness
I Curse This Land is another indie triumph from the crazed minds at Trash Arts. The romance is heartfelt, and the horror is pulse-pounding. The direction oozes atmosphere, and the cast is at the top of their game. This could well be the best thing Mason-Bell and company have made to date.
"…could well be the best thing Mason-Bell and company have made to date."
