Starve Acre

2023 British horror film by Daniel Kokotajlo

  • Tessa Ross
  • Juliette Howell
  • Emma Duffy
  • Derrin Schlesinger
Starring
  • Matt Smith
  • Morfydd Clark
CinematographyAdam ScarthEdited byBrenna RangottMusic byMatthew Herbert
Production
companies
  • BBC Film
  • BFI
  • House Productions
  • Access Entertainment
Distributed byBFI Distribution
Release dates
  • 12 October 2023 (2023-10-12) (LFF)
  • 6 September 2024 (2024-09-06) (United Kingdom)
Running time
98 minutes[1]CountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglish

Starve Acre is a 2023 British folk horror film written and directed by Daniel Kokotajlo, based upon the 2019 novel of the same name by Andrew Michael Hurley. The film stars Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark.

Starve Acre had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on 12 October 2023, and is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on 6 September 2024.[2]

Plot

Richard, an archaeologist, and his wife, Jules, live with their son Owen, who claims he has been hearing some whistling sounds. So, Richard starts to investigate a mythic folklore about an ancient oak tree on his land. During his investigations, a dark and sinister force pursues his home.

Cast

  • Matt Smith as Richard
  • Morfydd Clark as Juliette
  • Erin Richards as Harrie
  • Robert Emms as Steven
  • Sean Gilder as Gordon

Production

In January 2022, it was announced Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark had joined the cast of the film, with Daniel Kokotajlo directing from a screenplay he wrote based upon the novel by Andrew Michael Hurley.[3]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on 12 October 2023.[4][5] In October 2023, BFI Distribution and Brainstorm Media acquired distribution rights to the film for the UK and the USA, respectively.[6]

Starve Acre was released in select cinemas in North America on 26 July 2024. It is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on 6 September 2024.[2]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 44 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark are terrific as embattled parents in Starve Acre, an upsetting folk horror tale that locates the doom in domesticity."[7] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Starve Acre (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Starve Acre (2024)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  3. ^ Yossman, K.J. (31 January 2022). "Matt Smith, Morfydd Clark Set for Supernatural Horror Film 'Starve Acre'". Variety. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Starve Acre". BFI London Film Festival. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  5. ^ Ntim, Zac (31 August 2023). "BFI London Film Festival Full Lineup: 'The Book Of Clarence' World Premiere; Scorsese, Miyazaki, Lanthimos & Fincher Among Headline Galas". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  6. ^ Ritman, Alex (30 October 2023). "'Starve Acre,' Folk Horror Starring Morfydd Clark and Matt Smith, Sells to U.S., U.K." The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Starve Acre". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Starve Acre". Metacritic. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  • Starve Acre at IMDb