Starve Acre

This article is about the film. For the book, see Starve Acre (novel).

Starve Acre is a 2023 British folk horror film written and directed by Daniel Kokotajlo, based upon the 2019 novel of the same name by Andrew Michael Hurley. The film stars Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark.

Starve Acre
Film poster
Directed by	Daniel Kokotajlo
Written by	Daniel Kokotajlo
Based on	Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley
Produced by	Tessa Ross Juliette Howell Emma Duffy Derrin Schlesinger
Starring	Matt Smith Morfydd Clark
Cinematography	Adam Scarth
Edited by	Brenna Rangott
Music by	Matthew Herbert
Production companies	BBC Film BFI House Productions Access Entertainment
Distributed by	BFI Distribution
Release dates	12 October 2023 (2023-10-12) (LFF) 6 September 2024 (2024-09-06) (United Kingdom)
Running time	98 minutes[1]
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Starve Acre had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on 12 October 2023, and was released in the United Kingdom on 6 September 2024.^[2]

Plot

Richard, an archaeologist, and his wife, Jules, live with their son Owen, who claims he has been hearing some whistling sounds. So Richard starts to investigate mythic folklore about an ancient oak tree on his land. During his investigations, a dark and sinister force pursues his home.

Cast

• Matt Smith as Richard
• Morfydd Clark as Juliette
• Arthur Shaw as Owen
• Erin Richards as Harrie
• Robert Emms as Steven
• Sean Gilder as Gordon

Release

The film had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on 12 October 2023.^[3][4] In October 2023, BFI Distribution and Brainstorm Media acquired distribution rights to the film for the UK and the USA, respectively.^[5]

Starve Acre was released in select cinemas in North America on 26 July 2024. It was released in the United Kingdom on 6 September 2024.^[2]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 84% of 68 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark are terrific as embattled parents in Starve Acre, an upsetting folk horror tale that locates the doom in domesticity."^[6] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[7]

References

1. "Starve Acre (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
2. "Starve Acre (2024)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
3. "Starve Acre". BFI London Film Festival. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
4. Ntim, Zac (31 August 2023). "BFI London Film Festival Full Lineup: 'The Book Of Clarence' World Premiere; Scorsese, Miyazaki, Lanthimos & Fincher Among Headline Galas". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
5. Ritman, Alex (30 October 2023). "'Starve Acre,' Folk Horror Starring Morfydd Clark and Matt Smith, Sells to U.S., U.K." The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
6. "Starve Acre". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
7. "Starve Acre". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 September 2024.

External links

• Starve Acre at IMDb