The Feast – Fantasia Review (4/5)

THE FEAST is a new horror movie from Wales. It definitely won’t be for everyone due to a slow-burn and somewhat artsy vibe. However, give it a shot because it’s also pretty amazing. A movie in the so-called “eco-horror” niche. Screened at Fantasia. Read our full The Feast movie review here!

THE FEAST is a new Welsh horror movie and since it’s from Wales, they do also speak Welsh. This may seem obvious, but it does also mean that it is a “foreign film” in the sense that you won’t understand a word unless you speak the language. Not a problem for me, a native Dane, who grew up learning multiple languages in school. However, I know it’s not for everyone.

You would be missing out on something very special if you skip this movie. Certainly, if it’s due to a language barrier. While this movie isn’t from everyone (slow-burn and arthouse could be used to describe it), it has a strong message. And also, some truly f*cked up moments, which I loved.

Continue reading our The Feast movie review below.

A movie in the eco-horror subgenre!

You might not think much about the subgenre “eco-horror” as an actual niche. However, I’m sure you’ve watched quite a few movies that could easily be defined as being (at least partly) in this subgenre.

From the Godzilla franchise which includes nuclear waste created by us humans as a trigger. All the way to M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening where nature fights back. Even the very recent Settlers where humans have left Earth to settle on a new planet (released just last month in July 2021).

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If you enjoy The Feast, then check out our Settlers movie review here >

South Korean director Bong Joon Ho built a career on making eco-horror movies. From The Host in 2006 (chemicals dumped in water creates a monster) to Snowpiercer in 2013 (climate change means Earth is no longer inhabitable) and then Okja in 2017 (humans create a new species to get more meat cheaper).

My wife will testament to the fact that I still call out “Okja!” whenever I see humans mistreat animals!

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Check out our review of the Netflix movie Okja which has stuck with me since I watched it >

After all these movies based solidly on a core eco-horror story, Bong Hoon Ho made Parasite. And he won an Academy Award for Parasite (or rather, he won several). Now, that movie was more of a social commentary and dealt with that kind of ecosystem. So, not an eco-horror movie.

What does all this have to do with The Feast?

Well, everything really, but if I go into it too much, then I’d be spoiling it for you. The less you know, the better.

Usually, eco-horror has to do with us humans doing something stupid which comes back to haunt us. Either doing something wrong to nature (mistreating animals and the planet) or building our own destruction (a virus or AI robots). That’s not exactly the wrong way to describe the events that take place in The Feast; Humans do something stupid and will pay the price!

Also, you should know this: If straight-up horror is what you’re looking for, The Feast will also deliver on that. Just not in a classic slasher way. Instead, you’ll be getting that creepy kind of horror movie, where everything just feels strangely off.

And then people start dying very brutal deaths!

The Feast screened at Fantasia and will be out in the US in November!

Lee Haven Jones is the director of The Feast which has a screenplay written by Roger Williams. Lee Haven Jones has directed episodes on a lot of TV series. Including some big titles such as Doctor Who and Vera (which is big if you’re into British crime drama).

As far as I can tell, this is the first feature film written by Roger Williams, who has otherwise written on short films, TV movies, and series. He also created the TV series Bang.

I definitely don’t expect The Feast to be a movie for everyone. These slow-burn movies that utilize sound and image in more subtle ways rarely are. And yet, that slow vibe where something dangerous seems to be creeping closer all the time is damn efficient.

THE FEAST was screened at Fantasia 2021. It will also be out in theaters and on-demand in the US from November 19, 2021, via IFC Midnight.

Details

DIRECTOR: Lee Haven Jones
WRITER: Roger Williams
CAST: Annes Elwy, Nia Roberts, Steffan Cennydd, Sion Alun Davies, Rhodri Meilir, Lisa Palfrey, Julian Lewis Jones, Lisa Palfrey, Caroline Berry