Anyone who spends enough time looking for good scary movies will find that absolutely every culture has something unique and powerful to add to the horror world. Fear is one of the most subjective concepts in the human experience, so it’s no wonder that every culture has its own twist on fear on the big screen.
What do people think of when they imagine an Irish movie? Period dramas like Black ’47 or the iconic 1992 thriller The Crying Game are set in Ireland during the grim era of the Troubles. On the other hand, travel-based rom-coms like leap year, which are more about the beauty of the nation. At worst, some may imagine the less respectful Eleven of Irish folklore franchisee. But there is a thriving film culture in the country, which includes several visionary horror directors.
Vivarium
Irish director Lorcan Finnegan created this bizarre new vision of a living hell in 2019. Starring Jessie Eisenberg and Imogen Poots, the film shows the nightmarish surreality of settling down, retreating to the suburbs and having a child. A charming young couple struggles to buy their first home until they find a conveniently located suburb. They make the drive to tour the house, both largely uninterested in the property, but they soon discover they can’t leave. They soon discover a baby on their porch whose bizarre behavior leaves them in a constant state of fear. Watching Eisenberg and Poots collapse as their suburban prison saps their sanity is one of the most invigorating cinematic experiences of recent years. It’s an intelligent and subtle film, but when it lets go, it evokes a level of deep-seated terror that’s hard to match.
you are not my mother
There is a unique general trend of horror movies about mothers and things that can mimic them. you are not my mother fits in well with that trend, but the great performance by the first writer/director Kate Dolan makes it special. In the film, Hazel Doupe plays Char, a young lady who struggles to fit in with her family or peers. Her time at school is plagued by bullying and her time at home is no better. Her mother has become depressed and rarely leaves her bed while her grandmother is seriously ill. When her mother suddenly disappears, only to reappear drastically altered, Char is forced to reckon with something she cannot comprehend. The film effortlessly balances its unnerving horror and its social themes, creating a deeply clever and terrifying atmosphere.
The Hallow
It would be a shame not to include a film focusing on Ireland’s long and proud history of nightmarish creatures haunting their beautiful forests. Fortunately, Corin Hardy’s 2015 directorial debut serves to teach newcomers to mythology about the true nature of elves. The plot follows a conservationist, his wife and their newborn baby who move to an Irish village surrounded by a dense blanket of forest. Before long, the locals begin to behave strangely, as if trying to force the family out of their new home. The family discovers strange and evil powers with designs on their child and must fight against impossible creatures to survive. It’s not the most original movie, it’s a bit Evil Dead and a little Straw dogs, but Irish folklore gives it a unique identity. Anyone familiar with or fond of fairy tales should seek this film out.
The hole in the ground
Another directorial debut, this time from Lee Cronin, who will be directing an upcoming movie Evil Dead series. Released in 2019, The hole in the ground is an unusually solid entry into the strangely prolific evil child subgenre of horror film. Seána Kerslake plays a young single mother who is increasingly troubled by her son’s unusual behavior. When she discovers the sinkhole of the same name, she begins to wonder if the boy living in her house is really her son. The film manages to maintain a consistently unpleasant atmosphere, relying almost entirely on cinematography and musical cues. It is a tried and tested concept with an almost perfect execution.
Grippers
The Irish are arguably far more famous for their sense of humor than their horror, so Emerald Isle horror comedy stands out. Director John Wright and screenwriter Kevin LeHane created this unique and entertaining monster film that combines twisting horrors with one of the country’s most prolific shorthands. In the film, Richard Coyle plays an aging alcoholic cop who is disgruntled when he meets his new partner, who is hard-working and ambitious in her pursuit of promotion. The quaint Irish village is under attack by a host of disgusting masses of mouthed tentacles. Things look bad until they discover the alien’s weakness is alcohol. This forces the city residents into a prolonged protective sedation, turning the nightmarish survival scenario into a high-stakes bar fight. It manages the difficult double act of being really scary and funny. Movies like this should put Irish horror on the map for the unique and wonderful reward it is.
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