Shepherd Review: Rare Atmosphere, Common Horror Movie Trouble

The new Scottish horror drama shepherd suffers from a classic case of dead wife syndrome, a storytelling malady in which a protagonist’s longing/guilt towards their deceased spouse dictates the plot in a reductive, predictable way. The primary symptom of this endemic disease is a flashback in which the dead woman looks over her shoulder at the camera while sunlight frames her hair, which is tousled in an unconsciously sexy way. In shepherdthis flashback in standard edition comes as the woman in a kilt and leather jacket strolls along a cool Scottish beach, unaware of the icy death that awaits her in the sea beyond.

That’s not the only box on the DWS checklist shepherd Neither do ticks. It also features a prominently placed ultrasound photo, indicating she was pregnant when she died. And a protagonist who often experiences anxiety nightmares because of her funeral. And unspoken secrets about the circumstances of her death. All symptoms are present: shepherds diagnosis is undeniable.

It’s possible for a film to overcome Dead Wife Syndrome – take it The changeling, the 1980 haunted house classic that begins with George C. Scott retiring to a secluded mansion to mourn the loss of his wife and daughter. but shepherd is not unique enough to exceed the condition. A discovery of the witches‘ Tom Hughes plays Eric Black, the grieving husband who takes a job as a lonely caretaker for a flock of sheep on a remote island off the west coast of Scotland. When the film begins, Eric’s wife and unborn child are already dead, so he cannot be driven to murder them. Furthermore, Parallels to Stephen King The glow Start right away with the introduction of a milky-eyed captain, played by Kate Dickie, the British character actress who co-starred in the lead role The witch and was recently spotted The Green Knight and The Northman.

It’s never entirely clear whether Dickie’s character is a real flesh-and-blood person or the cruel manifestation of Eric’s suffering conscience. However, after serving as Charon on Eric’s personal boat to Hades, she tortures him with taunting phone calls that hasten his glowing-like rapid descent into isolated madness. (The entire film, from Eric’s arrival on the island to the story’s resolution, unfolds over the course of about a week.) Aside from Dickie’s menacing voice, Eric’s only companion for most of the film is his dog Baxter, whose storyline deserves this Film a trigger alert for the kind of animal lover that haunts DoesTheDogDie.com. And then there’s the lighthouse, which clangs like a junkyard robot and is crammed with ominous stuffed animals.

There are a whole lot of disturbing images shepherd, not everything with animals. Eric also commits self-harm and a gaunt, windblown specter of death literally follows him throughout the film. The actual events of shepherd are mostly phantasmagorical in nature: once he arrives on the island, Eric explores his harsh surroundings, has nightmares about his late wife Rachel (Gaia Weiss), and keeps himself awake at night by jumping into shadows. That’s about it, except for the scene where he finds a dusty journal and opens to a page that says, “She’s a witch! She’s here!” (This thread is lost almost immediately, but it sets an eerie tone.)

The idea of ​​a nautical haunted house film is appealing, and writer-director Russell Owen has a knack for creating an eerie atmosphere. This goes well with cinematographer Richard Stoddard’s appreciation for the film’s lonely, windswept locations, which he captures in a more dynamic color palette than one would expect of heavy clouds, wet rocks and dry grass. There is generally some flashy color work done in this film, combined with settings that look so inhabited that it’s hard to tell whether these are pre-existing locations or sets created for the film. They hit one way or the other.

These elements make a difference the film’s low-budget limitations, such as a crude rear-projection shot and off-the-shelf makeup effects. But for shepherd To really overcome its shaky bits and story clichés, it would need to come up with more resonant and creative visuals than Owen can produce here. Skinned sheep, blue-skinned dead, the Grim Reaper: the imagery of this film stems from a dark, desperate place, but also a familiar, eagerly-anticipated one. Combined with the influences that appear right on the surface of the script – The lighthouse is another big one — shepherd is more of a pull-jump exercise in art-house horror movies about grief than a truly spooky example.

shepherd Premiere in cinemas on May 6th and available for digital rental or purchase from May 10th.