Written by Paul Thomas and directed by Chris Cronin, The Moor is folk horror at its finest. This is an atmospheric film which takes its time in its handling of suspense and lets the grief gather in the gloom as if it were the fog which clings to the bleak landscape of this historic county of England.
The Moor, being released by Bulldog Film Distribution, is not soon forgotten, asking several unsettling questions in the wake of an unspeakable death. It is methodical in its pacing and carries quite an emotional punch as one grieving father, Bill (David Edward-Robinson), attempts to keep his son’s killer behind bars forever . . . with some help from the other side.
Set in Yorkshire, The Moor is, at once, an unsettling deep dive into the aftermath of some pretty terrible events. Specifically, the event at the heart of this thriller is the abduction and murder of a little boy and the questions raised concern themselves with unresolved grief and guilt. Haunting to its final minute, The Moor is a film which demands your attention.
Because things don’t go quite as planned.
Starring Sophia La Porta, David Edward-Robertson, Elizabeth Dormer-Phillips, and the late Bernard Hill, The Moor opens with the disturbing disappearance at a corner neighborhood market as Claire, busy nicking candy for Danny and herself, runs out of the store, glancing over her shoulder at the boy she’s left behind. When she comes back to the store, Danny is nowhere to be seen.
He’s fodder for a serial killer who has left a string of bodies in the moor. What follows is a darkly heavy film which trumps up its atmosphere with lingering shots upon the moor’s landscapes where all sorts of dark and dead things walk. It is both creepy and supremely human as it allows itself to wallow in a whole lot of survivor’s guilt as something dismal pulls at the living, begging them down into the dankest of places among the sides of the moor.
It might have been 25 years since the abduction and the death of Danny, but all of that matters little when the killer is set to be released from prison. What Bill posits to Claire, who is now an adult, is to examine what he believes is the resting place of his son and look for more and more missing children among the bones and the bottles of the night. With the help of psychic Eleanor (Dormer-Phillips), he takes them deep into the haunted moor which he believes is his son’s final resting place. They find more than just the ghosts of dead children out there - something else, something dark and evil, stirs beneath their feet.
There are plenty of frights here. There are also rich moments of great scenery, too. Wisely, the film is mixed with some found footage elements, too. Chris Cronin's feature-length directorial debut was widely praised following its World Premiere at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest, screening in the prestigious 'First Blood' strand. In Total Film's FrightFest Awards 2023, the film was nominated for Best Director, Best Film and Won Best Scare and it is easy to see why.
The Moor will be streaming on digital platforms on July 1st.
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 115 mins
Director: Chris Cronin
Writer: Paul Thomas
Cast: Sophia La Porta; David Edward-Robertson; Elizabeth Dormer-Phillips
Genre: Mystery | Horror
Tagline: Out There We Are All Lost.
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Bulldog Film Distribution
Official Site:
Release Date: UK Cinemas from 14th June and on Digital HD from 1st July
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Claire was just a child when her best friend was abducted and murdered. Twenty-five years later, the killer has served his time and is due to be released. Claire is approached by Bill, the dead boy’s father, who has a plan to keep the killer behind bars. With the help of psychic Eleanor, he takes them deep into the haunted moor which he believes is his son’s final resting place. They find more than just the ghosts of dead children out there - something else, something dark and evil, stirs beneath their feet.
