Gwen

Gwen: A dark film set in even darker Welsh valleys and stoney mountain fields. The people are non-conformists, plain, unadorned crosses in their homes. But at the chapel it is clear that this is not a radical form of dissent, the minister praises the bounty of the bleak mountains and quarries. Things go bad for Gwen (Eleanor Worthington Cox) and her family, her father is away at war. blight strikes the potato crops, an animal heart is nailed to their door, their sheep are slaughtered. it rains even more incessantly than in Angela's Ashes. The quarry owner is intent on buying their land. An eerie atmosphere of dread builds up as the cinematography of Adam Etherington makes good use of dark and shadows, figures emerge from the mist, both the living and the dead. Gwen's mother (Maxine Peak) uses folk rites to combat the perceived curse on her family.

A tale of folk horror related in a gothic style reminiscent of Wuthering Heights yet also incorporating elements of The Witch. Evil is abroad but the real malevolence may be the quotidian horror of an impoverished people being manipulated into mob violence by their exploiter, A slow moving film which won't be to everyone's taste and the bleakness may even put Folk Horror aficionados off. But both Cox and Peak put in powerful performances. Writer/Director William McGregor has delivered an interesting addition to the British Folk Horror Canon. 8/10.

How on earth does this only rate a 6? The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. The storyline is highly suspenseful, the underlying message is compelling and outrageous. Perhaps it's not wise these days to portray unbridled capitalism in a negative light. Granted, there were some dramatic liberties taken, but the brutal enclosure movement, the rape of the countryside, and the outlandish greed and cruel masochism of early unregulated industrialism is no fairy tale. I recommend this film.

Gwen is a slow but catching story of cruelty loneliness and vulnerability. It is a horrifying sad story that takes place in a little far land where hope fades and there is no miracle to lead the story to a happy ending.

Truly it is horrifying that you feel how bad things can be and how helpless humans could be. When the movie ends you will think of many similar situations in our time. and maybe you think of many political and social factors behind humans' misery. However it is not a typical horror film. If you are interested only in demons or other typical horror movies, this one could bore you. But considering real matters that make humans suffer life, it is an interesting and really horrifying movie.

Gwen is a dark and mysterious drama that is very solid in terms of storytelling, although it still leaves some question marks.

As a viewer of this film, I can feel the situation and the pain felt by Gwen. A teenage girl who misses the figure of the father, but on the other hand he must face the reality to face the mother who was hard on him. Although in the end Gwen will find out why her mother is being hard on her.

Many interesting points are used as a dressing for this film. Like the plague of cholera, the greediness, to the sense of disappointment towards God which leads to distrust. This film deserves more appreciation, also cinematography typical of the beautiful highlands of Britain, cold, quiet and full of mystery.

🌟 My Personal scor: 3.5 / 5

Look... It's a grim story, I get it. But once you decide not to use that as a criticism there's a lot to commend this movie for. The acting is utterly convincing. Peake and Worthington Cox are at their best. It takes its time. At one point the camera stays on Gwen as she falls asleep - her eyes gradually closing and her breathing getting deeper - that's typical of the pace. It's not overly dramatic (I can barely remember the musical soundtrack - which is sparse and acoustic). But it is desperately brutal. The cinematography is beautiful - reminiscent of softly lit 17th century Dutch master interiors - no glaring light or colour - muted pallets. Story wise I know nothing of the background but you can bet someone discovered the terrible way some small farmers were treated by the Welsh mining corporations in the nineteenth century and thought - "Right - I'm going to tell their story - people need to know about this!" And if that's true - great job! Summed up in the movies pivotal line: "If you steal a sheep they take your hand, if you steal a mountain they make you a Lord". Writing this review has made me realise I enjoyed it more than I thought! This struggling little family stay with you...