Starve Acre (read io9’s review here) stars House of the Dragon‘s Matt Smith and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s Morfydd Clark as Richard and Juliette, a married couple who realize the drawbacks of living on land infused with dark pagan forces. As folk-horror fans will well know, ancient secrets can often be rooted out if you consult the right reference book—and that’s exactly what happens in this exclusive clip.
The scene mostly features Juliette’s concerned sister, Harrie (Erin Richards). Harrie’s been providing support for the emotionally fragile Juliette, but she’s also wondering what’s behind Richard’s increasingly odd behavior. His off-limits study, stuffed with research materials left behind by his abusive late father, feels like a good place to start.
Let’s see… local folklore about a ritual involving human sacrifice, and a creepy poem that reads like a nightmarish nursery rhyme? No wonder Harrie is concerned! You also get a glimpse of Smith’s archaeologist character, who spends most of Starve Acre communing with the soil and uncovering some ancient secrets of his own in the process.
Starve Acre opens in theaters July 26.
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