Lord of Misrule (2023)

"Top Notch British Folk Horror"

Tuppence Middleton and Ralph Ineson star in the new film from horror specialist William Brent Bell (THE BOY, WER, ORPHAN: FIRST KILL), now getting a UK digital release from Signature Entertainment.

The English village of Berrow is preparing for its annual Harvest Festival, which includes a ritual in which the masked Lord of Misrule casts out the evil spirit Gallowgog. This year the Harvest Angel is to be played by Grace, the young daughter of the local vicar, Rebecca (Middleton). When Grace goes missing at the festival Rebecca uncovers a tale of Pagan (and Christian) horrors stretching back hundreds of years, one in which both she and her daughter are now destined to play a part.

LORD OF MISRULE is an engrossing, well made folk horror picture that gets so much right it's a joy to watch. The production design and set dressing are wall to wall creepy, there are fine performances from the leads, with Ineson playing the leader of the Pagans and a bunch of British character actors who look born to play weird villagers. The literate script that deals with the Christian versus Pagan religion is by Tom DeVille, best known to readers here for his 2000 TV anthology series URBAN GOTHIC.

Guiding everything with a sure and steady hand is director William Brent Bell. I've previously likened Bell's style to that evinced by some of the great British B horror directors of the 1960s like Don Sharp, whose 1964 WITCHCRAFT is a classic, and LORD OF MISRULE may well be Mr Bell's best film yet. It's assured, creepy and doesn't miss an opportunity for a well-orchestrated scare or a chance to build creeping unease. A must-see for fans of British horror films, LORD OF MISRULE has the makings of a future classic. Here's the trailer:

William Brent Bell's LORD OF MISRULE is out on Digital Platforms from Signature Entertainment on Monday 8th January 2024