Some particularly creepy horror films have come out of the United Kingdom in the past few decades; and as a horror fanatic, I particularly appreciate the artistic vision that has been involved in many of these projects. Of course, there will always be schlock gore flicks escaping our shores; they make money and seem to form a pre-retirement haven for actors leaving the realms of cultural relevance.
However, films like Berberian Sound Studio, Session 9, and Kill List, show creative invention in a genre many believe to be long since played out. With many American entries leaning heavily on the surface elements of post-modernism, such as Cabin in the Woods and The Final Girls, I appreciate directors willing to strip back all the genre tropes and cliches to really get under our skin.
Fife based director Lawrie Brewster is currently looking for funds to finish his upcoming horror film, The Unkindness of Ravens. Taking his plight to Kickstarter, the filmmaker is hoping to raise £40 000, the highest goal ever posed within Scotland. Donations have varied, from £5 to £5000, each coming with a special reward: from digital downloads to customised horror films featuring donors as victims.
The film itself tells the story of Andrew, a homeless veteran plagued by flashbacks of a traumatic event he witnessed in the army. Andrew travels to a retreat in the remote Scottish Highlands hoping to overcome his fear of ravens, the dark creatures that populate his visions. But, in this bleak wilderness, his nightmares manifest into an enemy more powerful than he could ever have imagined.
Check out the trailer below, the piece is drenched in atmosphere and hints at dark mythic influences hiding beneath its weatherworn surface. Hopefully the film will receive its full goal and hit screens soon. Lawrie Brewster is the director of 2013 horror film Lord of Tears.
#Peace.Love.TheUnkindnessOfRavens
