Written and directed by Aislinn Clarke, care worker Shoo, who is haunted by a personal tragedy, is sent to a remote village to care for an agoraphobic woman, who fears both her neighbours and the Na Sídhe – sinister folkloric entities she believes abducted her decades before. Starring: Clare Monnelly, Bríd Ní Neachtain, Alexandra Bustryzhickaya, Clare Barrett, Charlotte Bradley and Tara Breathnach.

Folk horror is not an easy thing to capture successfully, it requires a bigger level of mystique, curiosity and individuality. Creating that balance between mystery, fear and the mystical while bringing through cultural heritage is difficult but with her sophomore feature, Aislinn Clarke takes a highly respectable swing at it. It might not be perfect, there are a few inconsistencies, and awkward choices here are there but what Clarke achieves with Frewaka should not be undersold.

Starting off with one of the fantastic elements of Fréwaka which is absolutely critical for any atmospheric piece of horror, and that’s the cinematography by Narayan Van Maele. It’s superb and sets the perfect tone for something on the edge of disturbing and dark, while feeling completely natural. Having that aesthetic sharpness when matched with Clarke’s relatable script, is a really strong pairing. We get a story that has plenty of mystery and fear but is also funny and sympathetic.

There’s a big vein of trauma which is certainly an organic match for the genre, and it opens up so many emotional avenues for these characters. Which taking place within such an intimate atmosphere, with the film so focused on purely Shoo (Clare Monnelly) and Peig (Bríd Ní Neachtain). Those emotional connections are given a great deal of depth through the performances from Monnelly and Neachtain because they are both genuinely excellent. They create the driving force behind Fréwaka and it’s really enjoyable to watch.

Firstly, because Neachtain creates a firebrand in Peig, she’s fiercely independent, refuses to be helped and filled with sarcasm. Yet, it’s not just the humour and strength that’s great about her performance, it’s how she communicates the reasons behind those qualities. Neachtain translates the brokenness and vulnerability to Peig in a wonderful way, it’s mostly unspoken but when she does directly tap into it, it’s surprisingly touching.

What makes it all the better is that it’s so perfectly matched by Monnelly’s performance, they create a sharp-tongued, emotionally repressed harmony. With Shoo, we get a really nice complexity that leans into the mystery. Her struggle with mental health strongly links up with the curious and dangerous potential to the story, it’s captivating to watch how vulnerable she is to the darkness lingering around every corner of Fréwaka.

However, it’s a darkness that is played with a subtle hand, which may work for some better than others. There are certainly a fair few unanswered questions and background information that never arrives but the directorial style from Aislinn Clarke has a great handle on knowing how to strike that balance of drama and horror. Clarke employs a few jump scares here and there but keeps it light enough that they’re effective. There’s a strong tension and suspense, which makes it feel somewhere between Relic and The Wicker Man.

Perhaps the choices that let it down are actually where it doesn’t hold onto that subtlety. Particularly with the score, which can be almost sci-fi-esque which has a brash quality which comes in loud and harsh, mismatching with the tone of Fréwaka and taking away from its tension. There are also a few shots here and there which aren’t quite as strong, and it never truly gets a firm grasp on its creepy side. It had a huge potential to get more deeply under your skin but only ever breaks the surface.

Fréwaka is a very entertaining piece of folk horror, it’s a refreshing change of pace to see so little English, instead using primarily Irish Gaelic. Aislinn Clarke brings a strong cultural vein to the film which feeds nicely into its tense atmosphere, giving its mystery a natural feel. The cinematography is strong and the direction is well done.

While the story may leave unanswered questions, it still works very well. There was the potential to push it a little further but undoubtedly its strongest factor is the performances from Clare Monnelly and Bríd Ní Neachtain. The two actresses are sincerely terrific and watching their relationship develop is unexpectedly moving.

Verdict: ✯✯✯½ | 7/10

Screened as part of London Film Festival 2024

Coming to Shudder on April 25 2025