BFI Distribution to bring Starve Acre to UK and Irish screens in September 2024

BFI Distribution is set to captivate UK and Irish audiences with the release of the British folk horror film, Starve Acre, on 6^th September 2024. Directed by BAFTA nominee Daniel Kokotajlo, renowned for his debut feature Apostasy, this chilling narrative stars Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark, celebrated for their roles in House of the Dragon and Saint Maud, respectively. The film, a House Production, brings to life the award-winning 2019 novel by Andrew Michael Hurley, with an original score by Matthew Herbert. Following its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival 2023, Starve Acre is praised for its eerie allure and depth, with critics describing it as “freaky and frightening” and noting it “unearths something primaeval and toxic”.

Set against the backdrop of 1970s rural Yorkshire, the plot centres around the Willoughbys, whose seemingly peaceful life spirals into chaos following their young son Owen’s uncharacteristic behaviour and a subsequent tragic event. As grief fractures the family, Richard, an academic archaeologist played by Smith, becomes consumed with a local myth surrounding an ancient oak tree’s extraordinary powers. Meanwhile, Clark’s Juliette seeks solace within the community, only for both to be drawn into a foreboding discovery that connects them to dark, sinister forces.

Kokotajlo shares his vision for the movie: “I’m a sucker for films that put a spell on you with their attitudes and strange sensibilities. English folk tales like Starve Acre give you an opportunity to do that… Starve Acre also taps into a timeless fear that feels more relevant than ever: the idea that returning home, to nature and regressing into childhood, is a big mistake.”

In conjunction with the film’s release, Kokotajlo has curated a season of films and television programmes at BFI Southbank and on BFI Player, titled Roots, Rituals and Phantasmagoria, set to commence on 1^st September, leading up to a BFI Player, BFI Blu-ray and digital release of Starve Acre on 21^st October.

The editorial unit

Starve Acre is released nationwide on 6^th September 2024.