Synopsis:
A love letter to classic horror, Lore follows four young thrill-seeking friends after booking a horror-themed camping excursion led by Darwin, a strange and eccentric guide. One night around the campfire, Darwin encourages them to tell the scariest and most twisted story they can think of. As they recount tales of sinister spirits and malevolent demons, the group soon realises that these stories will have very real consequences for them all.
Richard Brake as Darwin
Lore stars Richard Brake (Doom, Hannibal Rising), Andrew Lee Potts (The Witcher, Primeval), Bill Fellows (Ted Lasso, Lady Macbeth), and Rufus Hound (Hounded, Queens of Mystery). James Bushe (of Cannibals and Carpet Fitters and many other short films), Patrick Michael Ryder (of Red Sky and many other short films), and Greig Johnson (of a few more shorts) are the writers and directors of portions in the horror anthology film with Adam Bouabda as the producer.
I was really excited to see Richard Brake (31, Doom, Hannibal Rising) as our creepy narrator-of-sorts, Darwin. I absolutely adored his performance in 31 as Doom Head and that sinister smile of his is a wonderful trademark. Brake introduces our would-be storytellers to the customs of the camp and helps kick off our first tale; Shadows.
The first instalment in the compendium is a simple but satisfying creature feature with good practical effects, great acting, and a delicious twist. They aren’t afraid to show off the monster, which is awesome for fans of the genre. The short also has impeccable pacing, editing, and gore. It was an absolute treat and a great opener to the anthology.
Story no. 2 is entitled The Hidden Woman and it tries to be something along the lines of an Ed and Lorainne Warren (The Conjuring style) film. There is the mother and the son in the house of a recently deceased relative, there is a mysterious, vintage phonograph that can’t be thrown away and a rather creepy dancing ghost. The film plays out like one would expect from a haunting film and I was left wanting. Though I will admit that the ghost’s movements and design were really cool—especially the creepy ballet around the halls.
The third offering, Cross Your Heart, is a “swing” back in the right direction. Here we are graced with some black comedy, relationship troubles, cultist vibes, and lots of pagan shenanigans. Without giving away the plot, suffice it to say that this short was a tonne of fun and plenty gory. It was my favourite of the four shorts but I really don’t want to give too much away.
Lastly, The Keychain Man, is an homage to the slasher film…and I guess to cinema in general, with the short taking place in a movie theatre. We’re again treated to a black comedy of sorts with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humour. Fortunately, this quickly turns into tongues dangling from severed heads and smashed cheeks. It’s a gory, funny, impressive short that knows how to laugh at itself as well as having meta-callbacks to the genre film industry.
The film was massively entertaining from start to finish and well worth your time. There is something for everyone’s tastes and each segment is really well made. Remember to stay tuned for a wonderfully jumpy mid-credit scene. Thanks for reading and as always, stay sordid. Lore is premiering exclusively on the Icon Film Channel from 26th August, sign up for a 7-day free trial at iconfilmchannel.uk or via the Icon Film Channel on Amazon Prime! Lore will be then available on Home Entertainment from 21st October. Thanks for reading and as always, stay sordid. The trailer and poster are just below.
