Folk Horror Offers Timeless Message

Evil comes in many forms. In horror films, it’s often in the form of an inhuman creature or supernatural entity. With folk horror films, however, evil is often personified in people and their actions, seeing the sub-genre interrogate the dark nature of mankind. In The Severed Sun, writer/director Dean Puckett‘s feature debut, a creature may go on a killing spree, but it’s far from the film’s true evil.

In an isolated British community led by a strict pastor (Toby Stephens, Die Another Day), religion rules the land. When his daughter Magpie (Emma Appleton) gruesomely murders her abusive husband, she inadvertently (or deliberately?) conjures a woodland creature that begins targeting the evil men in the village. As the bodies start to fall, suspicions start to rise, with particular attention being paid to Magpie. The rebellious woman, along with her sons Daniel (Lewis Gribben, Get Duked!) and Sam (Zachary Tanner), must battle the village’s conservative ideals and elude accusations of witchcraft before the natives resort to violence.

At it’s core, The Severed Sun is a classic folk horror tale that warns of a society controlled by religion and the dangers of groupthink. Given the conversations Puckett is having here, it would make a decent double feature with A24’s Heretic (review), another horror film screened at the festival that interrogates the purpose (and duplicitous nature) of religion.

Puckett’s script doesn’t offer a clear binary when it comes to good and evil, with both sides committing “evil” acts for reasons justifiable to themselves. Magpie, a woman fighting an oppressive patriarchal society, is clearly the “right” side to be on, but that Puckett doesn’t shy away from some of the more nefarious depths she must go to in order to seek justice is admirable. You never stop rooting for the character, but you might find yourself shocked by some of her actions. Appleton delivers an empowering performance, while Stephens’ Pastor avoids delving too far into caricature territory, crafting a man torn by his devotion to God and his love for his daughter. The mental tug of war the actor goes through as the villagers grow more restless is palpable.

Less successful are the rest of the characters, with many simply not getting enough to do. This is particularly true of Barney Harris’ John, the Pastor’s apprentice, who hides a sinful secret that isn’t explored to its fullest capacity. Secrets come to light, including a repressed queer romance and an incestuous one (well, a step-incestuous one), but they seem to be forgotten as quickly as they’re revealed. Their inclusion adds extra layers to the film’s thesis, but that they go relatively unexplored is disappointing, especially given the film’s 80-minute runtime.

Despite that brief runtime and an emphasis on atmosphere over thrills, The Severed Sun isn’t able to sustain narrative momentum. Shot over the course of 12 days, minimalism is the name of the game here, but many scenes don’t have the drive that Puckett is hoping to achieve. Still, the atmosphere does a lot of the heavy lifting, with director of photography Ian Forbes capturing the isolated nature of the town among vast landscape shots of the English countryside.

This isolation also calls the film’s time setting into question, as it’s never specified. Puckett offers minimal clues to the truth, with the set design implying a setting some several hundred years in the past, but Magpie’s characterization is that of a woman with modern sensibilities and convictions. This seemingly anachronistic quality reinforces Puckett’s stance that these themes are not only universal, but timeless. A The Village-style reveal is never offered, keeping the mystery alive, but for those who pay attention: the answer is clear.

Notably, Puckett doesn’t shy away from gore when the creature strikes, leaning into intestinal trauma and plenty of blood splatter in the film’s key moments of violence. Brought to life via a mix of practical and computer-generated effects, the creature is a striking image. Equally so are its tendrils that emerge from the forest and slowly creep towards the community with each passing death.

The Severed Sun is a solid entry in folk horror canon, with a clear message and some impressive effects work and a strong central performance. Pacing proves to be an issue, with Puckett struggling to fill a truncated runtime, but the sun certainly hasn’t set on this burgeoning filmmaker’s career.

The Severed Sun had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest and will be distributed by Dark Sky Films. Release date TBA.