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| Image courtesy of Shudder |
Irish writer/director Jon Wright has created films across a range of genres, but is perhaps best known for his work with a dark undertone. Some of his most well-known films include Grabbers, a horror-comedy about a small Irish town that is ravaged by an alien creature, and Tormented, a horror film about a group of high school students who are terrorized by the ghost of a bullied classmate. Wright's creative storytelling, impressive visual effects, and propensity for the dark side set him apart, and in his new film Unwelcome, he strikes again with a gruesome yet playful folk horror tale that lives up to his reputation.
Maya (Hannah John-Kamen) and Jamie (Douglas Booth) are a married couple who are overjoyed to discover that they’re having a baby. Their joy is quickly stifled when they nearly get murdered in their urban London flat after a group of miscreants follows Jamie home from the store and assaults him. Thankfully for them, Jamie’s aunt passes away shortly after this traumatizing incident, leaving him her quaint house in rural Ireland in her will. Relieved to have the opportunity to raise their soon-due baby in the quiet countryside, the couple moves there only to discover a whole new set of adversaries: small-town locals and goblins.
While most of the town is friendly to their new neighbors from the big city, the couple hires the eccentric Whalen family to renovate their inherited house, and things don’t exactly go according to plan with them. From showing up unannounced in their home to the father of the family (Colm Meaney) insisting on being called “Daddy” anytime he’s addressed by anyone, Maya and Jamie soon regret their choice of contractors. To make matters worse, an older woman in town named Maeve (Niamh Cusack) informs Maya that she needs to leave a plate of food out by the garden every night to appease “the little people” – or else. They promise to continue this tradition that Jamie’s aunt followed, but quickly break that promise and are consequently faced with adversaries of all sizes. Unfortunately for them, country living seems to have its share of problems too.
The greatest charm of Unwelcome is when the audience finally bears witness to these aforementioned “little people,” whom Jamie refers to as “leprechauns” but look far more like traditional goblins. The first hour of the film only hints at these creatures, adding a level of mystery and suspense about their presence, and this makes their big reveal oddly satisfying and surprisingly humorous. These goblins feel straight out of Labyrinth: highly animated, ugly-cute, and hilariously mischievous. While there’s a distinct tonal shift that happens when they come into the picture which feels slightly off, they bring a key element to the film to keep it interesting exactly when the story needs it.
Oddly endearing yet horrifying creatures aside, the other standout aspect of Unwelcome is its stunning cinematography. Once Maya and Jamie move to the countryside, the idyllic landscape looks straight out of a fairytale and has a stunning, painterly quality to it. From the golden sun casting its light across the verdant fields during the day to the haunting, mist-covered forests at night, the rural Ireland of this film is a living fantasy. Kudos to cinematographer Hamish Doyne-Ditmas for making the scenery so enchanting that it makes the fact that otherworldly entities roam there entirely believable.
Unwelcome is a compelling, lighthearted piece of folk horror with some solid acting, interesting characters, great creature effects, and shots that are complete eye candy. While the pacing is a bit sluggish at times and it has a tonally uneven approach, it’s absolutely worth a watch for those who like a side of whimsy and humor with their gore.
—Andrea Riley