When I heard there would be a British folk horror movie set in the 70s, I thought I'd read the book while waiting for the post-festival release date. Drizzly weather, a chunky knit, tea, and woolly socks, and I was all set.

I like subtlety, but too much of it, and the impact is lost. "The Murmuring" was one of my favorites in Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities because it had a beautiful balance. The island scenery, peaceful bird-watching, and the whirring tape recorder became a backdrop for the supernatural and the tragedy of the living.

In terms of horror, Starve Acre is very subtle to the point of veering into a family drama about grief, and the ending is also a bit of an anticlimax. Maybe I'm too used to weird things, but I just thought: "Did I really read 200 pages for this?". A good story, but not as creepy as I had hoped. The movie has gotten good reviews, though, so I'm still excited about it.