Unsettling and strangely effective

Director Ben Wheatley and writer Amy Jump are doing something very unique here, something I haven't ever seen before, and take some filmmaking risks that ultimately pay off for a movie that is straightforward and yet deeply difficult to describe in detail. A black and white film set some time in the 1640's in the English countryside, we follow four deserters of their country's civil war who leave the battle behind and choose to seek respite at a pub across a field. Ingrained with superstition, fairy tales and folklore, their simple trip turns sharply strange, leaving the viewer disoriented in a constant state of unknowing, questioning the reality of the situation and feeling as helpless as the characters. I was impressed by the acting of each of the main characters, but particularly stunned by Reece Shearsmith as Whitehead. Powerful images, haunting scenes, and a brilliant soundtrack make this clever low budget folk horror movie stand out as a triumph of modern cinema. 

10/10