Director: Russell Owen
Writers: Russell Owen
Starring: Tom Hughes, Kate Dickie, Greta Scacchi
Year: 2021
Duration: 103 mins
Country: UK
BBFC Certification: 15
Horror films have taught us many things, from the correct etiquette to use when leaving a room (never, ever say I’ll be right back) to what to do if, after moving to a new home, your child starts speaking to a new imaginary friend (no one ever heeds the advice, but if that starts happening, you really should get the hell out of there).
Cult classics such as The Wicker Man, as well as more contemporary examples such as Damian McCarthy’s Caveat, also appear to teach us that staying on a remote, lonely island is rarely a good idea. It is advice that the lead of new horror film Shepherd clearly hasn’t heard, with predictably hellish and nightmarish consequences.
The plot for Shepherd begins in a dramatic but rather unoriginal fashion. Eric Black (Tom Hughes) has seen his life fall apart after loosing his wife in a tragic accident. Plagued by nightmares and estranged from his Mother (who seems to be his only remaining family member) Eric sees an opportunity for recuperation and salvation in a job advertised in the local paper – a chance to a become a shepherd on a remote island.
Getting the job with apparent ease (perhaps the fact that Eric already has a dog helped to seal the deal) he is ferried away from the mainland by a sinister, one eyed captain (Kate Dickie), who deposits him on a large, hilly island whose only signs of civilisation are an ancient lighthouse and a dilapidated dwelling, complete with crumbling walls and a rickety staircase. It doesn’t take long for Eric to realise that something is very wrong on the island. Haunted by hellish visions and terrifying nightmares, he struggles to maintain his sanity as the past rushes up to meet him.
Writer/Director Russell Owen is content to play the long game with his story. After the brief, efficient opening, the pace once Eric arrives on the island grows stately and rather languid. Owen is far more concerned with building up an atmosphere and sense of dread than he is with trying to scare his audience every five minutes. In fact, this sums up Shepherd as a whole. This is the kind of horror film that relies on an unsettling atmosphere more than outright scares (although Owen does attempt a few for good measure). This moody, unhurried pace certainly won’t be for everyone, however, with the mystery at the centre of the film perhaps drawn out rather too long for its own good.
If the pace and plot might stumble occasionally, then Shepherd’s epic cinematography certainly does a lot to make up for it. Owen captures his horror story with a mixture of grand, sweeping wide shots that would make David Lean proud, alternating them with disorientating close ups. Great production design, along with a stunning location, ensure that Shepherd is one of the most visually majestic horror films to arrive in quite a while.
Considering that the vast majority of the film rests on a single character’s shoulders, Tom Hughes carries a lot of responsibility (Kate Dickie’s role is tiny and even then, half of it is delivered over the phone). Thankfully, Hughes delivers an consistently engaging performance that helps to drawn you in, an impressive feat considering the lack of dialogue. Greta Scacchi also impresses as Eric’s bitter, accusatory Mother.
A film about mourning, grief and guilt, with overtones of folkloric revenge and retribution, Shepherd is not a light or breezy watch. It is a dark, mysterious slow burn that consistently impresses with its oppressive atmosphere and striking visuals. Yet its story, unfortunately, feels overburdened with too many metaphors and hidden meanings, where the emotions that should tie everything together into a cathartic whole are treated almost as an afterthought. Its visuals and atmosphere may impress, but even they can’t make up for an allegory heavy plot that never quite hits home.
Shepherd will be available on Blu Ray and Digital Download from 21st February.