60-second review: Dark storm clouds seem to be rolling into the small Welsh village where Gwen takes place constantly — both literally and figuratively. The film is relentlessly dark as the family of women at the center — consisting of mother Elen (Maxine Peake), teenager Gwen (Eleanor Worthington Cox), and youngest Mari (Jodie Innes) — struggles through plight after plight including losing their father to the war, their farm falling apart, and the owners of the nearby mine threatening their land. The movie is appropriately tense, atmospheric, and filled with a sense of dread.
However, it struggles to do anything with all that tension. Director William McGregor, in his film debut, proves he's adept at creating a mood of terror and satisfyingly mixes in elements of gothic and folk horror. But the story never takes off. The journey to its conclusion is so well-crafted, engrossing, and seemingly intentional, but it never says more than what's on the surface. And unfortunately, the conclusion doesn't do anything but add another layer of darkness on the already grim narrative.
It's easy to compare Gwen to Robert Eggers' 2015 folk horror The Witch as both deal with a young woman coming of age in a complicated family situation and set against the backdrop of a dreary time. However, The Witch has tangible themes and takes a full dive toward horror whereas Gwen stays in the real world, making it less compelling. It's unfortunate considering there's so much strong craft on the screen. I want to see more from McGregor. He has the directoral talent, he just needs a good story to tell.
Where to watch Gwen: Streaming exclusively on Shudder on August 16th.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hey! I'm Karl. You can find me on Twitter here. I'm also a Tomatometer-approved critic.
💌 Sign up for our weekly email newsletter with movie recommendations available to stream.
ADVERTISEMENT
No Other Land follows a Palestinian activist as he documents the destruction of his community… Read More
TIFF 2024 | The Life of Chuck follows an enigmatic man starting as a surrealist… Read More
A pair of young Mormon missionaries find themselves at the center of a sinister plot… Read More
Moving back and forth in their history, We Live In Time follows a couple through… Read More
While it begins as a cat-and-mouse thriller, Strange Darling evolves (and genre-bends) into a psychological… Read More
Dìdi is an autobiographical romp through the life of a shy 13-year-old Taiwanese-American as he… Read More
Leave a Comment