Rent Lord of Misrule (2023)

Creepy - Lord of Misrule review by sb

FILM & REVIEW Genuinely creepy pagan sacrifice movie. Middleton plays Rebecca a vicar newly installed in the village parish with her husband and daughter. The daughter Grace seems to have behavioural issues that that they hope to work through but the harvest festival in imminent which takes up time. As it’s a pagan festival Rebecca goes along but believes her faith is far stronger but when Grace dissapears that night with no clues this comes into question. It appears that the village owes its true allegiance to the spirit Garrowgog which historically has blessed the village with a good harvest in return for a gift. It’s soon becomes apparent that this time this is Grace. At first the village rally round that it soon becomes apparent it’s all for show and soon Joseph Abney ( a very sinister Inesen) takes charge and it’s revealed that he too lost a child in similar cicustances but has taken a diffident path to Rebecca. Of course all films of this kind live in the shadow of The Wicker Man and this is quite happy to follow in the tradition. Middleton is very good in the lead prepared to do anything to save her daughter and the whole thing has a genuinely creepy atmosphere. It’s interesting it came out about the same time as Midsommer and this is the better film - bur never got the attention - 4/5