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Every Black Mirror episode ranked from worst to best

Since Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror premiered in 2011, it has been captivating and disturbing its viewers, warning them of technology’s eerie potential. With the latest season making its premiere, here is Dead Northern’s guide on every Black Mirror episode ranked from worst to best.

27- The Waldo Moment (Season 2 – Ep. 3) 

The Waldo Moment has definitely become one of the more disliked episodes. It’s not a stereotypically ‘bad’ premise, yet it fails to excite, disturb, or entertain. On its own, this tale of puppetry gone mad does intrigue, but it simply fails in comparison when standing next to the superb offerings from the rest of the show. 

26- Men Against Fire (Season 3 – Ep. 5)

Men Against Fire follows the story of Stripe (Malachi Kirby), a traumatised soldier who begins to experience strange sensations that alter his perception and expose the true horror of war. This Black Mirror episode achieves the show’s will to unravel societal issues, but its incredibly bleak tone does not offer much of a rewatch factor nor immerse us as intensely as it could have. 

25- San Junipero (Season 3 – Ep.4) 

San Junipero is a controversial entry at number 20, an otherwise beloved show episode. It’s a clever feat showcasing the whimsical nature that hides within each one of us, always desperate to prolong the positives of life. San Junipero is heartwarming and breaking at the same time, and above all, it feels somewhat out of place against the show’s darker entries such as ‘The National Anthem’ or ‘White Bear’. 

24- Metalhead (Season 4 – Ep.5) 

Metalhead is often forgotten in the grand scheme of the Black Mirror world, possibly due to its potent lack of dialogue and the drawn-out storyline that would have been better suited to a runtime of under 30 minutes rather than the 41-minute runtime that it has. Despite the bleakness, the visuals are spectacular, showcasing some brilliantly crafted special effects. 

23- Hang the DJ (Season 4 – Ep.4) 

Surprisingly, Black Mirror has featured many love stories throughout its run; of course, nearly all of them result in a far-from-happy ending. Hang the Dj’s premise of a dating app that estimates the match’s relationship length makes for a delightfully tragic ending that will catch you off guard no matter how many times you watch it. 

22- Hated in the Nation (Season 3 – Ep.6) 

Hated in the Nation remains the longest Black Mirror episode, replicating a full-length feature. The politically charged episode tackles the ever-present rhetoric of the dangers surrounding social media and how simple comments and replies can unravel a world of hell beyond the keyboard. 

21- Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too (Season 5 – Ep.3) 

Black Mirror and technologically charged plots go hand in hand, with many episodes piggybacking off of the horror of the internet, smartphones and surveillance. Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too takes aim at virtual assistant technology and how it has the potential to have a mind of its own. This surprisingly effective episode showcases Miley Cyrus in her best role yet as she performs as a troubled singer. 

20- Mazey Day (Season 6 – Ep.4)

Mazey Day is a partial creature feature, as well as an expedition into grief, along with a touch of symbolism regarding the exploitation found within spectacles. This concoction makes for a fruitfully entertaining episode, which, unfortunately sometimes bites off more than it can chew. 

19- USS Callister (Season 4 – Ep.1) 

Outright inspired by Star Trek, this intergalactic trip is one of the more humorous episodes of the entire show, with plenty of tidbits and giggles amidst the disturbed background of what happens when a video game is taken to impossible heights. 

18- Be Right Back (Season 2 – Ep.1) 

Every once in a while, Black Mirror will stray away from horror and thriller and anchor onto pure tragedy. Be Right Back tests everyone’s moral constraints, the rights and wrongs of what to do when a loved one passes away. Many of the show’s episodes will make you ponder; however, Be Right Back will genuinely have you questioning what you would do in such circumstances.

17- Fifteen Million Merits (Season 1 – Ep.2) 

Fifteen Million Merits is a testament to Daniel Kalyuua’s talents, with the episode primarily following his character Bingham in a world where humanity and currency are on an equal playing field. 

16- Nosedive (Season 3 – Ep.1) 

Nosedive and the current reality are not too far apart, with the episode focusing on what would happen if your life and wellbeing was directly linked to how you present yourself in an online-like world.

15- The Entire History of You (Season 1 – Ep.3) 

Whilst memories can be warm and special, there are aspects of our lives that are best kept in the dark. The Entire History of You takes this idea of controlled memories and transforms it into a world of trickery where lies, affairs, and harrowing grievances are all brought to the forefront. 

14- Playtest (Season 3 – Ep.2) 

Playtest strains away from the thriller aspect of Black Mirror and diverts into complete sci-fi terrain. The episode focuses on the scariest threat of all, our own personalised fears, with the plot exercising what happens when we strive to make technology too personalised. 

13- Joan is Awful (Season 6 – Ep.1) 

The first episode of the latest series is Joan is Awful, a comical and tragic story about the increasing use of A.I. in film and television. Whilst Black Mirror is known for its extremities, Joan is Awful is worryingly close to home for many media fans, mainly due to the episode’s use of fabricated reality and computer-generated entertainment. 

12- White Christmas (Season 2 – Ep.4)

Christmas specials typically fall on the lighter side of events, but in the world of Black Mirror, Brooker could not have come up with a bleaker plot. White Christmas is a foreboding anecdote about the deep and darkest secrets that lie within every one of us and how no matter how buried these affairs may be, they always have a way of worming to the surface. 

11- Striking Vipers (Season 5 – Ep.1) 

Striking Vipers offers nothing but jaw-dropping bombshells throughout the entire episode, with the plot taking the unexpected route at every turn. Similar to ‘San Junipero’, Striking Vipers explores virtual reality and escapism, except with a much less harmonious ending for everyone involved. 

10- Demon 79 (Season 6 – Ep.5) 

Black Mirror is known for its societal warnings about the rise and intelligence of technology. However, Demon 79 bashes away this archetype in favour of an armageddon-like story. It’s a unique episode that entirely stands out against the rest and opens the door for the world of Black Mirror, exploring alternative strains of themes and subjects. 

9- Black Museum (Season 4 – Ep.6) 

Black Museum is an absolute must-see for any Black Mirror fan, with each frame being filled with plenty of easter eggs from the show’s previous episodes. The premise is highly similar to many episodes, particularly ‘White Christmas’ and ‘Playtest’, with the whole narrative of mind transportation playing a significant role. Yet, unlike the two previous entries, Black Museum’s unforeseen curveballs make it stand above the rest. 

8- Smithereens (Season 5 – Ep. 2) 

Another criminally undervalued episode is Smithereens, starring the Damsen Idris and Andrew Scott, who steal the entire show unlike any other episode. Smithereens is part character study and part high-paced action thriller that warns about the dangers of social media. Whilst nearly every episode of Black Mirror has some thin veil of the truth lying within it, Smithereens has one of the more plausible fates events, making it undeniably harrowing. 

7- Arkangel (Season 4 – Ep.2) 

With censorship on the rise, Arkangel seems more timely (and more scary) than ever. A tale of protection gone wrong and the dangers of restrictions make Arkangel the creepy nightmare that it is. Despite some mixed reviews, Arkangel is an excellent example of how Black Mirror manages to both alert and intrigue at the same time. 

6- Beyond the Sea (Season 6 – Ep.3) 

Black Mirror has a penchant for beginning the episode in one particular terrain and ending up in a completely another emotional dimension. Beyond the Sea is melancholic, dull, and lacking in charisma – all of which are deliberate attributes that emphasise the episode’s existential allegory on the treacherous nature of isolation. 

5- Crocodile (Season 4 – Ep.3) 

A severely underrated and critically controversial episode is Crocodile, which takes the premise of a spiralling lie to new extremes, where every act of deceit, no matter how small, results in utter mayhem. Crocodile is a fantastic take on a somewhat overused storyline, making it one of the show’s most memorable episodes. 

4- White Bear (Season 2 – Ep.2)

Another winning episode from the freshman days of Black Mirror is White Bear, a suffocatingly barbaric ride into what happens when the laws of justice are let loose. White Bear begins in an eerie place where nothing seems to make sense; however, when you compare the first act to the brutal ending, the starting point seems like a fairytale. 

3- The National Anthem (Season 1 – Ep.1)

Black Mirror’s first episode, The National Anthem, is a pure force that shakes, surprises and submerses us into a world of deceit where bizarre sequences of events are made incredibly and terrifyingly realistic. The episode takes a heinous storyline and brilliantly implies the ‘tell-don’t-show’ rule, where our imaginations are left to do the dirty work, often resulting in images that are more chaotically cruel than the screen could ever reveal. 

2- Loch Henry (Season 6 – Ep.2) 

The beam and fascination of true crime seems to have society in a chokehold at the moment, with countless individuals becoming hooked on the ghastly and morbid world of real crime. However, one question that has consistently arisen since the allure of true crime began long ago is whether or not the indoctrination of genuine terror and real-life horror is ethical.

1- Shut Up and Dance (Season 3 – Ep.3) 

Contentious subject matters consistently make for intriguing entertainment. Whilst this is a bold statement within itself, when a piece of media both raises awareness and compels graphic dangers, the result can be riveting. This is precisely what makes Shut Up and Dance a phenomenal episode of Black Mirror and arguably the show’s best feature yet. Each twist and turn is brimming with tension and awe, eventually building to a harrowing ending that both catches you off guard and remains ingrained in your conscious long after watching.

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Reviews

Review – The Boogeyman (2023)

Rob Savage has proven his status as one of the most exciting horror filmmakers actively creating in the current market. His feature debut, Host (2020), made the common Zoom session a playground for ghostly antics to ensue. Following shortly was the enigmatically charged Dashcam (2021) which barrelled in intense humour amidst the backdrop of a live stream. Adding to Savage’s growing filmography is The Boogeyman, an adaption of the Stephen King short story of the same name (1973). 

Even in its most complex form, King’s story is simple, far from complicated, and a fundamentally brilliant portrayal of primal fears. Its own directness is what makes it a classic. Bumps in the night, the monster under the bed, and the scared of the dark logic all haunt us at one point; with this in his peripheral, Savage takes heed from extensive explanations and backstories surrounding simplistic innate frights to tackle a narrative brimming with unpretentious scares, and delivering a horror that grapples with urban-legend-like terrains. 

As with many big studio-produced films, the story replicates a wave, interweaving emotionally dense performances in between the big scares, working with a continuous play of highs and lows. And for all of the loud, gotcha frights to succeed, a solid backdrop is essential. The film is graced by the talents of Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets), Chris Messina (Air), Vivien Lyra Blair (Bird Box) and David Dastmalchian (Dune), all of whom carry the dramatic storyline with ease, but most notably Thatcher, who plays the role of a grieving adolescent heavy with the weight of her sister’s trauma. Thatcher exceeds expectations and propagates the sympathetic tone of the film, ensuring a connection between the screen and the viewer. 

The Boogeyman thrives on its traditional expositions, with each act defining a clear climax and then disequilibrium. However, whilst the film is far from dull, there does seem to be an error in restraint. Going from independent to studio filmmaking is a giant leap in creative freedom. It is not uncommon for executives to push specific characteristics or scenes that may generate more of a buzz, increasing the chances of financial success. Whilst this aspect leans more on the positive side, there is such a thing as too much emphasis on creating a film that ‘all’ audiences will love. Savage is such a fierce director, a true force. And yet, The Boogeyman sits at 90% ferocity rather than 100%.


It’s noted that initially, the film had that oomph factor one expects with Savage’s talents, but during test screening, audiences found the original cut too scary, meaning that specific tweaks had to be made. By no fault of the cast and crew, The Boogeyman has a slight fall when it comes down to the fear factor. However, a factor that boosts the film back towards its well-deserved acclaim is its atmosphere which is perfect for cinema viewings – just as movies are made to be seen!

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Curiosity Corner

Facts you never knew about the ‘video nasties’


1 – One film has never made it out of the nasties list

As any horror fan will tell you, the ‘nasty’ period was brutal for the genre, with every film on the list going through rigorous censorship campaigns, resulting in many films not being released fully uncut until the mid-2000s. However, despite the times moving on, one film has still never seen the light of day in the UK. The banned culprit in discussion is Gestapo’s Last Orgy (1977), an exploitation flick centred on the horrors of war. 

2 – The media’s concern went further than you could believe

In an interview regarding the nasties’ ability to infect the public’s minds, MP Graham Bright, stated that “research is taking place and it will show that these films not only affect young people, but I believe they affect dogs as well”. 

3 – House of Commons goes to the cinema

As part of the NVALA (National Viewers and Listeners Association) campaign to ban the rise of horror, the organisation compiled a compilation of some of the more bloody moments from the films in question. This compilation was shown to ‘prove’ how horrid these films were, eventually convicning parliament to create laws and legislations that would change the path of horror cinema for decades to come.  

4 – Real or fake – the case of Cannibal Holocaust (1980) 

The infamous Cannibal Holocaust was not neccesarily the ‘worst’ film on the list. However, its use of firsthand footage and its mondo influences meant that director Ruggero Deodato was actually arrested for obscenity. The graphic material was so absurdly gruesome that the authorities eventually changed his charge to murder, as there was ‘no way’ that the performers actually went through the stunts voluntarily. Eventually, the case was settled when Deodato brought out the cast and proved that they were in fact still alive. 

5 – Havoc at the video store

When the authorities were at the peak of prosecuting films, they would patrol local video shops hunting for obscene films. However, due to the officers not actually viewing the films, they did not always know which movies to lift from the shops. According to official documentation, Dolly Parton’s comedy musical ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ (1982) as well as the acclaimed Apocalypse Now (1979) was seized simply due to their names. 

6 – False evidence

It was not uncommon to see newspapers and reports comment upon the nasties as being equivalent to exercises in sadism that have the potential to tarnish the minds of Britain’s youth. However, when this was actually investigated, the results pointed elsewhere. Dr Guy Cumberbath was more than hesitant over the claims, resulting in him interviewing students at primary schools about the latest nasties. Most of the kids admitted to watching these films and enjoying them, but as part of the study, Cumberbatch would ask about fake titles that didn’t actually exist, all of which the participants would claim to have consumed. 

7 – The rise in popularity 


The protests against the nasties were vigorous and strict, yet that did not stop the list of films gaining significant positive attention. One of the more popular nasties was Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead (1981), with the film’s first VHS release in 1983 (prior to the Video Recordings Act [1984]) garnered £100,000 in profit from its UK sales, making it both one of the quickest selling video releases in the history of home video.

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Dead Northern Festival News and Reviews News

Dead Northern Horror & Fantasy Film Festival: A festival to die for… Is back this September

CELEBRATE THE BEST OF INDIE HORROR ON THE BIG SCREEN!

  • Dead Northern Film Festival returns for a fourth year with a three-day horror and fantasy film festival in the heart of the UK’s spookiest city, York.
  • The festival will be held from Friday 29 September to Sunday 1 October 2023
  • The programme will feature a 50th anniversary screening of ‘The Wicker Man’, new short and feature films, live events, Q&As with filmmakers and much more!

Following last years success, which saw over 500 admissions, celebrating the best of the indie horror film genre, the Dead Northern Film Festival returns with a thrill-packed weekend.

Horror and fantasy fans are invited to the York’s City Screen Picturehouse to spend the weekend celebrating frightfully good flicks old and new.

The line-up includes a mixture of specially curated new feature and short films from the best talent in the genre, locally and internationally, as well as a celebration of some classic horrors reaching milestone anniversaries.

Folk horror will take centre stage over the weekend with 50th anniversary screening of Robin Hardy’s ‘The Wicker Man’ accompanied by a panel of special guests and a carefully selected group of folk horror shorts.

Beyond the film – Expect interviews with industry creatives

There will be something for all genre fans from creepy thrillers to blood-soaked slashers.

Joshua Lawson Co-founder and director of festival programming says of the line-up: “We’re really excited to welcome Dead Northerner’s back to our most ambitious festival yet.”

“I can honestly say this is going to be strongest line up we have had in our 4 years growing the festival, with an eclectic mix of extra fringe events and activities”.

Festival goers enjoying the City Screen in between screenings

There will also be other surprises for festival attendees including special introductions, guest speakers and, of course, the live events and awards party that has become a fan favourite. 

Dead Northern Festival award winners will join past alumni such as Rob Savage (Host) who won film of the year in 2020, and Erik Bloomquist (Ten Minutes to Midnight). With the most anticipated award “Best Death” won by Liam Regan’s Troma hit in 2022 (Eating Miss Campbell) sponsored by Dead Happy.

Liam Regan accepting the award for ‘Best Death’ in 2023

Brand new to this year is the ‘Bizarre Bazaar’ a unique marketplace dungeon of brilliantly unusual vendors dedicated to fans of the horror and fantasy genre.

VIP Weekend Passes for the festival are now on sale with day passes and individual screening tickets set to be available in August when the full festival schedule is released. 

You can follow Dead Northern Film Festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

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Retrospectives Reviews

Retrospective – Fifty years on – The Wicker Man (1973)

One of genre cinema’s biggest classics meets its 50th anniversary this year. Within these past five decades, the already beloved hit has managed to soar further than ever and gain a reputation that many films can only dream of. The grand slam in question is none other than Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man (1973). 

The Wicker Man follows Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) as he lands on the grounds of Summerisle, a small Scottish island, to investigate the disappearance of a child. Howie’s puritan ways are tested after being shocked at the Islander’s worship of pagan Celtic gods and behaving in an open frivolous manner, leading Howie to suspect that something suspicious lurks around the corner. 

This eerie, dark, and bewitching descent into the greatest monster of them all, humanity, is a momentous feat in the world of folk horror, the genre responsible for creating the most haunting of films. In an ode to classic folk horror, The Wicker Man battles with evil grounds, sordid land and its lust for sacrifice. The 1970s hit thrives in these quintessential folkloric themes that have been utilised and weaponised for decades, yet rather than the film weaken overtime with multiple watches; it manages only to get better, which is equally thanks to the stellar performances and the film‘s unique method of building fear. 

Production began in the early ‘70’s after the film’s screenwriter Anthony Shaffer and acclaimed actor/ Hammer Horror legend Christopher Lee began discussing the potential to collaborate on a film that went against the grain of the popular trend of ‘monster movies’. Soon joining Lee and Shaffer was the eventual director Robin Hardy, who was more than on board with creating a horror film surrounding cult and mythology. Looking for inspiration, Shaffer brought David Pinner’s 1967 novel Ritual to the table, which chronicled a religious police officer who travels to a small village looking to solve a sacrificial murder. After negotiations, Pinner sold the rights and production ensued. 

For any ‘Ritual’ fans, it may be noted that The Wicker Man is not a direct adaption of the book, but more of a starting point, with the film, eventually forming into a tale about the woes and intrigue of paganism. The Wicker Man poses that the screen did not need to be filled with blood, guts, and gore to obtain a genuinely horrifying response from its audience. Instead, the terror alludes to the animalistic and horrific nature of the Summerisle residents. The film raises its atmosphere solely through methods of intent and interpretation, letting the viewer’s imagination conjure it. Despite how unnerving The Wicker Man’s conclusion may be, the lasting atmosphere is not one of disgust but deep-seated fear and trepidation that the most peaceful environments hold the darkest secrets. 

With Lee already on board, they needed to cast the role of Sergeant Howie, the hard-mannered officer. When actors Michael York and David Hemmings declined the role, the reputable television actor Edward Woodward was welcomed onboard. With a solid story and an even sturdier cast under its belt, The Wicker Man began filming mainly along the Scottish coast before wrapping up and editing, which is a whole story within its own right…

From a contemporary perspective, many can confirm that The Wicker Man is a ‘perfect’ movie with no noticeable flaws. However, the post-production indeed travelled across rocky terrain. The studio, British Lion Films, had bought the film, and after seeing the ‘burning man’ conclusion, they demanded heavy cuts to the ending as Howie’s death was too horrid to put on screen. They suggested that the scene should continue, but instead, halfway through, a sudden downpour should occur in which the rainstorm puts out the fire. Luckily enough, the crew outright refused to make this edit and instead negotiated to cut out roughly twenty minutes of build-up scenes. 

Adding to the turbulent release journey was the film’s lost footage. After the film had been released, Hardy was determined to restore his vision to its original edit, seeking the complete, original footage to restore it fully. However, he was informed that the negatives were lost, that is, until director Roger Corman (and one of the previous potential distributors) still had a copy, saving the day and leading to a ninety-six-minute version being released in 1979. As time has gone on, multiple versions have been released – an extended cut released by Canal+ in 2001, a limited edition signed version from Anchor Bay in 2005, and most recently, The Final Cut from StudioCanal, which Hardy described as one of the most accurate representations of what he wished The Wicker Man was when it was first released. Unfortunately, the exact carbon copy and precise original cut still have not been found, but that does not hinder what we already have.

With all of the commotion and re-edits, where does The Wicker Man stand 50 years later? 

The Wicker Man boomed onto the scene with reviews from prestigious outlets, including Variety, The New York Times, and Los Angeles Times, all praising the film’s slow-burning dread and evocative atmosphere. Decades later, distinguished sources such as Empire and The Guardian ranked the film as one of the best horror movies ever, and for a good reason. The film is not only a genre-defining piece of cinema, a folk horror classic, and a definitive part of British film and media; it is also an intense, burdensome, and wholly unhinged example of how aura and a menacingly slow buildup can leave a lingering mark of fear that does not rely on jumpscares, but our own worst enemy – the imagination. 

There are multiple ways to read The Wicker Man, which are all equally frightening. There’s the aspect of nurturing nature, feeding the land souls to prevent disruption. Then there is the religious perspective, where one could comment on how the film elicits fear based on the infatuation of high powers and cults, leading to the abandonment of moralities to serve a spectral being. And then there is the more sinister realisation – forget about individualising fear within the sins of the land, forgo the collective power of cult thinking. What truly makes The Wicker Man claw at the viewer’s skin and then nestle its horror within their being is how mundane the film portrays monstrosity to be. Recalling back to early production stages, Lee, Shaffer, and Hardy wanted the uncanny to thrive amidst a background of sincerity where there were no ghosts, zombies, or knife-wielding maniacs. The horror needed to come from within the Summerisle residents’ souls, not via a weapon or some dressed-up ghoul. The film’s manifesto speaks to the horror within the everyday, an apparent typical atmosphere that holds unearthly secrets. The Wicker Man makes you uncomfortable and on edge from the very first moment. However, it is not until the very last scene that our suspicions are confirmed, and an epiphany reveals itself.

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Curiosity Corner Retrospectives Reviews

Deep dive – The history of folk horror in cinema

Robin HardyÕs THE WICKER MAN (1973). Courtesy: Rialto Pictures/ Studiocanal
Robin Hardy’s THE WICKER MAN (1973). Courtesy: Rialto Pictures/ Studiocanal

The lens of folk cinema captures the evil beneath the soil that haunts the land and infects those who rebel against it. Those unfortunate souls who dare taint the grounds suffer greatly, leaving devastation in its wake and causing hysteria and havoc amongst worried souls, simultaneously cultivating rich growth for the horror in lore, myth, and legends. It is an alarming yet alluring ethos that propagates the success of folk horror. 

Over the years, folk horror has seen a significant boom in popular horror cinema, with the likes of The VVitch (2015) and Midsommar (2019) and the equally successful but far more underrated Kill List (2011) and The Ritual (2017). With these films holding supreme status in modern horror, a deep dive into the origins of the folk horror subgenre has never been more pertinent. 

Where to begin… 

Folk horror holds its roots in nearly every country. It isn’t easy to pinpoint a specific religion that holds the key to folk cinema, with the genre belonging to many cultures. Folk derives from folklore, translating to individualised mythology from various societies. What has become known in mainstream media as ‘folk horror’ with all of its iconography and archetypal symbolism is, at the crux, derivative from British lore. For example, the bones of folk horror that audiences have come to know and love today are birthed from Pagan rituals; it’s the profound meaning of life and death, the cycles of nature, and the importance of worshipping a higher power that amalgamates with the genres eerie rhetoric that provides such influential works. 

The Unholy Trinity

Every reign of horror has its champions. Folk horror’s genre-defining entries can be found in The Unholy Trinity, consisting of Witchfinder General (1968), The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971) and The Wicker Man (1973). Mark Gattis first coined the term in the BBC docu-series A History of Horror in 2010, which was soon adopted as the official definition of folk horror’s primary instigators. Each entry into the Trinity is entirely unique and somewhat different from one other despite their blanketing together (which can be quite the metaphor for how broad the scope is on folk cinema). 

Michael Reeves’s Witchfinder General chronicles the self-appointed witch-hunter Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price), following his misdeeds throughout small rural villages across East Anglia. The cruel barbarism that follows in the wake of Hopkin’s actions creates a structure that can only be described as a mob-like ruling where sovereignty is not earned and equally placed but instead stolen by whoever holds the most power. Witchfinder General depicts Hopkins as he storms in and does not simply command authority but instead takes it from his victims. 

British folk horror storylines thrive in the social divide seen in the likes of Witchfinder General; the films allude to how the most significant threat does not strictly adhere to paranormal entities and ghoulish ghosts; instead, it’s the same civilisation that one belongs to. This essence of fearing your fellow neighbour and evil lying within the home is further explored in Piers Haggard’s The Blood on Satan’s Claw. 

The motivations behind much of the folk horror seen in the mid-1970s surrounded the hippie counterculture that dominated the landscape during that time. The decade saw a rise in young people declaring a belief system that went against the common consensus. They protested the war, dabbled in the increasingly popular substances arriving in the common market, and openly expressed the desire to change the system. The Blood on Satan’s Claw follows a group of young people in a small village being overcome and possessed by the devil himself after a skull is found underneath the town’s ground. 

The cult of demon-worshipping children is shown infiltrating and recruiting other members to the group until eventually banding together to cause ultimate destruction. The film can be easily read as an on-screen recreation of the disharmony that was arising at the time, with the notion of sudden societal uproar being one of the critical themes of the film. 

Out of the trinity and the entire catalogue of British folk horror, one of the most crucial, successful, and effective films has to be The Wicker Man. Robin Hardy’s classic follows the residents of Summerisle as they complete a ritualistic sacrifice for the land to ensure a fruitful harvest. The Wicker Man remains the most influential folk film and one of the most important horror films in general across British cinema. Throughout the film, the main character is Summerisle. It’s a symbolic living and breathing organism that devotes itself to the people, and in return, the residents nourish it with sacrificial flesh, blood and bones.

Beyond The Unholy Trinity

Amidst the horticulture of the well-renowned Trinity was a string of TV specials that have become ingrained in the thesis of British folk horror. Television, possibly more so than cinema, is entirely reflective of its audience. Britain is known for its blunt and bleak outlooks and humour, meaning that much of the fictitious media to come from the country relies on the nation’s unique nihilistic framings. 

Whistle and I’ll Come to You (1968), Penda’s Fen (1974) and Red Shift (1978) are just some of the many television specials that captured Britain’s gloomy atmosphere with the traditional folkloric spirit. With these television specials also came a form of notoriety that allowed folk horror to be available to a broader audience than film allowed. When speaking of the times, not everyone had the time or ability to go to the cinema and view these fantastical folk films. However, many had access to a television set where these spooky entries would interrupt the standard Saturday night entertainment specials to display the most tempered and sinister of frights. 

It was a time of paranoia, with the events in the news being scarier than any film or book anyone could have ever witnessed. With this, a level of immunity was stripped back, children would walk past paper stalls with the sinister headlines in full sight, and the daily news report would blare on the radio over breakfast. The presence of these shows was momentous. It was a chance for ghastly stories to enter the home and invade the keep calm and carry on attitude. Folk horror uses the presence of rural locations, familiar faces, and supposedly ‘quaint’ bonds as a vessel for actual, brutal disharmony to break through. The prettiest village harboured the most terrible secrets; ancient curses lay underneath the silent fields, and the longheld family unit could be disrupted anytime. 

Today’s context

Folk horror has never been more alive. The messages and symbolism seen in the likes of the Trinity still resonate from a contemporary perspective. For example, The Wicker Man is celebrating its 50-year anniversary this year, yet its connotations are more significant now than ever. With every harvest, the Summerisle residents must offer a human sacrifice to appease the ground’s thirst. In its rawest form, the film’s discourse surrounds how society’s actions profoundly affect earthly structures; the soil beneath us is not forgiving and requires care. Similarly, if we take a look at the whole Trinity, the entire pathology of every film can be sourced back to how the ecological landscape holds great power, and with great power comes a right to respect. 

This aspect of the Anthropocene is and will always be a landmark in understanding folk horror. The relationship between land and human intervention is at the heart of many folk entries. As The Wicker Man implies, the people no longer live on Summerisle as simple occupants. They are intrinsically connected to the land. They must offer a sacrifice; otherwise, their well-being will wither with the ground beneath them. 

Legacy 

Folk horror has birthed an entire subset of movies. Even films that do not necessarily fall into the lines of folk horror weaponise the standard folk format to convey its harrowing message. Take, for example, In the Tall Grass, the 2019 horror based on Joe Hill and Stephen King’s 2012 novella. The film implies that crops hold some form of supernatural power over those who dare to step foot on the land. Even The Blair WItch Project (1999) has a folkloric undertone, with the group of explorers being purposefully misled in a forest due to a presence that controls the woodland. Akin to nature itself, folk horror is everywhere, it’s inescapable and has never been more potent.

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Reviews

Review – Evil Dead Rise (2022)

With its origins dating back over 40 years ago, five films in its repertoire, and a string of classic catchphrases, The Evil Dead movies are a certifiable success. Adding to this stellar reputation is Lee Cronin’s bloody and bold contribution to what might just be one of the most beloved horror series. With all the hype and pressure of delivering a horror that lives up to its well-received predecessor Evil Dead (2013), it can safely be assumed that Cronin must’ve certainly felt the heat.

The fifth instalment is not a carbon copy of any of its predecessors. Besides the odd pov camera angle, chainsaw weaponry, and the essential Necronomicon, Evil Dead Rise is totally original, forgoing predictability in favour of focusing its attention on the unexpected, making a ruse out of the whole narrative. With that being said, Cronin throws in plenty of callbacks to classic horror movies, making use of throwbacks to elicit a nod of appreciation from its seasoned audience and to introduce new fans to the delights that await them. The Exorcist (1978), The Shining (1980), and The Thing (1984) are just some of the many classic movies that Cronin sprinkles in. 

The film takes the burgeoning concept of reallocating classic movie franchises to the city, hoping to conjure widespread, uncontainable fear. Whilst many Evil Dead fans may have been apprehensive about the big city move, the apartment complex setting makes for a dreadfully claustrophobic atmosphere that suffocates and annihilates every step of the way.

Evil Dead Rise gives way to many nerve-racking scares; there’s certainly an abundance of frights that will have you looking over your shoulder for a day or two and develop a lifelong fear of door spy holes! At the crux of Evil Dead Rise’s success is the film’s toe-curling violence that starts at the very beginning of the film, not letting you have the chance to breathe, let alone enjoy an escapist moment or two. The terror is fast-paced and beyond brutal; the sheer quantity of bloodshed is not just generous but almost entirely repulsive (in the best way possible).

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Retrospectives Reviews

Forty five years on – I Spit on Your Grave

“This woman has just cut, chopped, broken, and burned five men beyond recognition – but no jury in America would ever convict her!”

I Spit on Your Grave was considered so heinous, so ludicrously cruel, that it earned its spot as one of the most notorious video nasties that caused a tidal wave of commotion in Britain circa the 1980s. However, whilst it is now a celebrated classic and an iconic exploitation-revenge horror, Meir Zarchi’s career-defining film is still radically controversial. 

This quintessential genre film follows Jennifer Hills (Camille Keaton), a writer from the bustling borough of Manhattan, looking for some solitude to write her first book. Jennifer’s rented cabin in the rural countryside proves quaint and peaceful until a local group of barbaric misfits line her up for the most disturbing fate. In what can only be described as the unholiest actions, the gang repeatedly assault her and leave her for dead. This simple revenge story is one that is now rather commonplace for many movies, particularly those on the darker side, and whilst this arc has been through its fair share of cinematic cycles, I Spit on Your Grave remains one of the chief instigators of this gruelling subgenre. 

Despite the harrowing brutality of it all, I Spit on Your Grave has quite a bold backstory. It all started when filmmaker Zarchi came across a young woman who had been raped in a public New York park. Bloodied and stripped of her dignity, Zarchi helped the woman to the police station in hopes of justice. However, the officers nitpicked her statement by criticising her slurred speech, despite the fact that the attack had left her with a broken jaw and unable to speak. From this moment on Zarchi was compelled to tell a story of such great injustice with a horrific twist that many argue offers a warped sense of vengeance and a bold take on catharsis. 

The film’s venom-filled storyline helped infuse Jennifer’s character arc with a level of brutality that oozed throughout the whole film, with I Spit on Your Grave’s cinematic detailing offering covert signalling and interesting gazes that positioned the horror in a rather confrontational perspective. This aspect of antagonising the viewer and making them see the true horror of the crimes completely banished the video nasties’ campaign claims, which included warnings that films such as I Spit on Your Grave were a sadistic “poison”. 

Even all of these years later, it’s clear to see that I Spit on Your Grave is a far cry from tempting. For example, during Jennifer’s mistreatment, the camera continuously shifts the lens to focus on the perpetrator’s face at a low, flat angle as if the camera were taking on the victims position – the spectator becomes physically aligned with Jennifer with the assailant symbolically lying atop of the viewer. It is an assaultive and unforgiving lens that does not lend any prowess to Jennifer’s situation. The audience is exploited, they are made to feel victimised. It’s a horrifying fate that forces a reaction of gut-wrenching terror, it is undoubtedly dreadful. Zarchi’s cinematic detailing abandons any suggestion that the film is titillating and encourages similar crimes. Alternatively, I Spit on Your Grave is so utterly cruel that it makes the viewer recoil in shock at the mere thought of such a reality. 

And it’s this exact reason as to why I Spit on Your Grave is considered a definitive example of classic horror cinema 45 years later. The harrowing scenes are far from influential, they are in fact so antagonistic that the very thought of it becoming a reality is sickening. Everything from the aforementioned cinematography to the commendable performance from Camille Keaton is what allows this 1970s triumph to be unforgettable. It’s a brutal film that manages to stand the test of time and still inflict filmic wounds upon its audience. 

I Spit on Your Grave was eventually given a DVD release with a sign-off from the BBFC in 2001, with the censorship officials enforcing necessary cuts to tone down the now-debunked eroticisation. In 2010, the organisation took another look and admitted that the cuts were overboard, yet they still concluded that nearly three minutes of edits were needed. Just three years ago in 2020, the board were brought back to the table to discuss the infamous film, and yet they still refused to officially release the entire uncut version in the UK. 


Despite the rather rocky reputation that I Spit on Your Grave has obtained over time, the film has blossomed into a franchise, with the well-received remake hitting screens in 2010. Over the years, another three movies were made, all detailing the archetypal revenge storyline that Zarchi’s original helped established. With the influx of vengeance horror’s dominating a large part of the genre, it’s essential that we must not forget its ancestry, including films such as The Last House on the Left (1972), Death Wish (1974), and I Spit on Your Grave (1978).

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Reviews

Review – Infinity Pool (spoiler free)

Coming from the strange and dark mind of Brandon Cronenberg is what is most likely to be 2023’s most lavishly viscous film, Infinity Pool. With its salacious themes and even more explicit visuals, Cronenberg’s latest adventure into the darkest depth of the human psyche has racked up quite a reputation. Countless connections have been made surrounding the film’s similarity to Parasite (2019), The Menu (2022), and even the smash hit TV series The White Lotus (2021-). However, whilst Ininfity Pool takes the satirised elite elements in its stride, the film is so incredibly bleak and crushing that any straight ties to other works are fruitless in describing just how effective Infinity Pool really is. 

The film follows Em (Cleopatra Coleman) and James (Alexander Skarsgård), a young couple desperately needing a getaway as they retreat to La Tolqa, a private beach resort. However, instead of the expected rest and relaxation, the trip soon takes a turn for the worse as they come across the mysterious Gabi (Mia Goth). 

Cronenberg has that unique talent of creating such a sensual yet complicated atmosphere, bursting at the seams with many metaphors and fleshy symbolism. Infinity Pool transfuses every frame with foreboding dread, making the viewer crave the unfolding terror. The audience dives straight into pure scopophilic terrains by the film’s climax. Further espousing Infinity Pool’s measures of stunning extremity is the film’s somewhat unhinged plot that remains shocking even after a second watch. 

As Em and James retreat deeper into the chaotic narrative, the film becomes a tightly wound bundle of absurdity where gut-wrenchingly raw and harsh truths thrive. Infinity Pool is best described as a cinematic enigma that has to be experienced.

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News Reviews

Review – Nightsiren

Supporting up-and-coming talent is a massive part of what we do here at Dead Northern, so when we received a message from a student looking for an opportunity to review for us we jumped at the chance. We’d like to introduce Hayley to the Dead Northern family.

Without further ado, here’s Hayley’s review of Nightsiren.
 
Nightsiren is a 2022 Slovakian folk horror film directed and written by Tereza Nvotova. It had its UK premiere at this year’s Glasgow Film Festival. It has won the Golden Leopard Filmmakers of the Present 2022premiere


The film stars Natalia Germani as Charlotte and Juliana Ol’hova as Helen. It film follows Charlotte (Germani) who comes back to her childhood mountain village seeking answers regarding her traumatic childhood. Whilst there strange things happen and the villagers accuse her of being a witch. Whilst at the village she befriends Helen (Ol’hova), the two of them become close friends and try to figure out what happened in Charlotte’s past. Throughout the film Charlotte discovers things from her past were not as she once perceived. She does find answers but whether or not they are what she is looking for is another story. Nightsiren is all about who you can trust and who can’t be trusted.
 


Nightsiren is based on folktales and how they are still believed in rural areas in today’s society. I’m not sure if the film is based on a specific Slovakian folktale or a culmination of lots of different folktales.
The horror comes from not knowing what’s real or not. Are there witches? Is it all in the villagers’ heads? It reminded me very much of The VVitch in that sense. Being in a secluded place with the feeling that you can’t escape and you don’t know who the real enemy is. The villagers themselves add to the horror. They are the ones that are pointing the finger at Charlotte stating that she is the witch. There is a feel of paranoia throughout the film, from the villagers thinking there is a witch within their midst to Charlotte and Helen fearing for their lives.
 
Nvotova has made a slow burn horror that keeps you asking who the real enemy is. This is the third feature length film for Nvotova. She understands what audiences want when it comes to folk horror. A tale of twists and turns. Nvotova started as a documentary director, this is her first foray into horror. I’m excited to see where she goes from here and if horror is something that she delves into more.
 
Both Germani (Charlotte) and Ol’hova (Helen) are stand out performances. The way that they grow throughout the film both separately and together. Their relationship is something that is questioned throughout the film. Did they know each other before Charlotte came back to the village? Is there something more between them?


Nightsiren is the kind of horror that stays with you long after it’s ended. It certainly has with myself. What I liked most about the film was that nothing is ever really explained; it just starts and from there you need to figure out what’s going on. This is definitely one for fans of folk horror. Folk horror is a genre that seems to be making a coming back in the last few years. It’s interesting to see where the genre will go in the following years.

To see the trailer for Nightsiren click here