REVIEW: FRÉWAKA

• Director: Aislinn Clarke
• Writer: Aislinn Clarke
• Stars: Clare Monnelly, Bríd Ní Neachtain, Aleksandra Bystrzhitskaya

REVIEW

Folk horror is one of the more fascinating subgenres of horror because, despite the religion and superstition it’s based on, the evil always comes from the darkest facet of nature itself:man. Humans have always told stories, created religions and observed traditions as a way to feel in control and to control one another. Fréwaka, the first Irish language horror film, utilizes these themes expertly while also parsing through the never-ending trauma that is the mother/ daughter relationship.

Writer/director Aislinn Clarke has crafted a story that spans several generations, acknowledges inherited trauma, questions blind faith, and also deeply critiques the Catholic Church. Like her debut film, The Devil’s Doorway, Clarke uses the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland as an impetus for the kind of abuse that goes unchecked under the guise of religion.

Shoo (Clare Monnelly) has just learned of her mother’s passing, but their relationship was one built on abuse, so she has no qualms with leaving her pregnant girlfriend to clean up the mess while she shows up for her latest job post. Shoo is being sent to a tiny, remote village to be the live-in caretaker for Peig (Bríd Ní Neachtain), an agoraphobic who speaks only Gaelic and is shunned by the people of the village.

When Shoo arrives in town, it is immediately clear that outsiders are not welcome, her and Peig get off to a rocky start, her girlfriend is pressuring her to make amends with her dead mother and it would appear as though the strange village boy is following her. And the goat. You absolutely cannot have a folk horror film without a goat. Basically, Shoo was never going to win most charming, but now she’s really having a rough go and things are only going to get worse as her and Peig each confront their own past trauma, all of which is steeped in the local folklore and the Catholic Church, and try to conquer it, both separately and together.

While the theme of inherited familial trauma has been popular lately, Clarke manages to make it feel fresh by mixing both the Magdalene Laundries and the Na Síde ( an Irish supernatural race) together to create the kind of evil that isn’t obvious to the untrained eye and can make the victims look like a “typical crazy woman,” which also allows for social commentary on the expectations and pressures we continue to place on women. There is quite a lot going on in Fréwaka, but Clarke keeps all of the threads clear and moving at the same pace. No special effects, no wacky gimmicks, just expert manipulation of the camera and lighting make the film slowly feel dark and claustrophobic, all while endearing you more and more to these women.

Clarke has made something special with Fréwaka. While it can certainly be described as a slow burn, in no way does any moment feel wasted or unnecessary, the visuals are beautiful and all of the performances feel lived in the very best way.

Fréwaka is available on Shudder now.

Lisa Fremont