The Unkindness of Ravens

source: The Unkindness of Ravens

Severely traumatized Afghanistan war veteran Andrew (a fine and credible performance by Jamie Scott Gordon) decides to hole up in an isolated cabin in the Scottish Highlands in order to confront his own demons along with his fear of ravens. Director Lawrie Brewster relates the compelling story at a steady pace, makes nice use of the verdant sylvan countryside, and ably crafts a super tense and creepy mood. Sarah Daly's perceptive script astutely nails the horrors of PTSD. The striking cinematography by Brewster and Gavin Robertson delivers a wealth of stunningly grotesque and unsettling visuals. A genuinely harrowing ride.

An independent movie with a phenomenal story that sucks you in. I first heard of Hex Media from 'Lord of Tears' and was blown away by quality of the movie. If you are looking for a horror movie with a plot that will have you in suspense from one moment to the next, then this is the movie for you.

The Unkindness of Ravens is an incredibly powerful and at times uncomfortable piece of filmmaking. Jamie Scott-Gordon's performance as traumatised Afghan war veteran Andrew is truly remarkable and will carry you through an emotional meat grinder as the former soldier fights back against the PTSD demons that manifest as the ravens. His flashbacks to the Afghan desert (shot at Scotland's Tentsmuir Beach, believe it or not) are both gruesome and disturbing, while the soldiers' scenes in the dimension of the Raven Warriors are really quite harrowing. Something between 17th Century plague doctor and Samurai, the Raven Warriors' costume design is every bit as iconic as that of the Owlman from director Lawrie Brewster's previous movie Lord of Tears. While Brewster and co-writer Sarah Daly's horror debut was clearly influenced by Hammer and British haunted house classics like Jack Clayton's The Innocents (1961), The Unkindness of Ravens owes more to Brit folk horror shockers like The Wicker Man (1973) and Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1981), with perhaps a hint of the iconography of the Forbidden Zone from Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) and the violent emotional intensity of Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs (1971). As with Lord of Tears Michael Brewster's cinematography of the Scottish Highlands is both atmospheric and achingly beautiful, while Sarah Daly's sound design and the musical score by Andy McDonald and Yousef Khalil reinforce the moody aura of Celtic mystery derived from Brewster and Daly's meticulously detailed background mythology..It's rare for a horror movie to highlight a social issue, but The Unkindness of Ravens bravely takes on and illustrates some of the issues faced by British servicemen traumatised by the horrors witnessed on active duty. Innovative, disturbing and very, very scary The Unkindness of Ravens is far from your usual horror movie and so much more powerful for that. Brewster and Daly are carving out a truly unique niche for themselves in the UK filmmaking community, one that promises to bear the most original and delicious fruit in the future.

This film offers great visual effects, make up and filming locations but the story telling and script are really bad and disjointed with gore and violence thrown in without thought. The actor is good and believable but unfortunately I couldnt help feeling I had wasted an 1.25 hours of my life .

The Unkindness of Ravens wastes no time in delivering the viewer into the world of PTSD-suffering Andrew. At the urging of his therapist, Andrew retreats to a remote cottage in the wilderness of Scotland to face his demons - both the unshakeable memories of wartime atrocities, and the phantasmic cult of raven-men that haunt his every waking moment. An unhealthy dose of isolation and survivors guilt make Andrew quick fodder for his avian tormentors, as well as his own incriminating reflection. Playing out like an extended Jacob's Ladder type nightmare, the film sends Andrew through a gauntlet of terrors as we learn about the events which brought him to his fragile mental state. Shy on dialog, Jamie Scott Gordon bares a heavy load, carrying the film as virtually its sole character. Jamie is fearless in his raw emotion and empathetic in his suffering. Lawrie Brewster's film is heavy with mood, yet economic and precise with its storytelling; starting from a gloomy foundation and only building from there. Masterful cinematography and visual effects work by Gavin Robertson and Michael Brewster paint scene after scene of dire circumstances splayed across stark, barren landscapes, and dilapidated architectures. Joseph Ruddleston's score and Sarah Daly's sound design are perfect complements, adding an impactful voice to Andrew's distress.

What amazes me about director Lawrie Brewster is how he can produce such unsettling and downright unnerving images from his basic settings and simple make up effects..I love the gothic style and darkness throughout. I really was absorbed by the main characters journey and what he had been through during his war years and how it all still haunted him and how he could fix himself by his seclusion and still the nightmare he had to go through. I was not as creeped out by this movie as i was with Brewster's previous Lord of Tears film but this one was ramped up to 10 with the disturbing images and more gruesome in tone. With the abundance of horror movies released each year Lawrie Brewster seems to be able to come up with something unique and unlike anything i have seen before.

Andrew (Jamie Scott Gordon) is a homeless veteran Scotsman who has trouble dealing with what happened to him during the war. His case worker Angela (Amanda Gilliland) arranges for him to go off to a retreat home. He is to keep a diary and to write down his accounts, thoughts, and poems, allowing Sarah Daly to showcase her work. Andrew must face his "demons" which take the form of ravens and men dressed in a black hooded robe with a raven skull face. Andrew likes photography for the first half of the film. The special effects while inexpensive for the most part, was effective. The horror aspect was all visual as we know the demons are all psychological. About an hour into the story his flashback tale becomes more clear as he seems to of had multiple traumatic events happen to him. I liked the sound track and even the poetry. Good camera angles and the Scottish drawl was not so fast and heavy as to prevent me from understanding what was said. More of a "one man" drama. Not for everyone. Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity. Eye removal...which make me squirm

After watching and loving "Lord of Tears" I couldn't wait for Hex Studios & Hex Media's next project and I am not disappointed. The acting is superb, the visuals are high quality and the story line is powerful and gut wrenching. One of the best depictions of the horror of war and the horrific impact it has on a veteran with PTSD. Not to be missed.

Really tense build up (with a pretty accurate depiction of PTSD) culminating in an all out gore fest. Really enjoyed it! With the Raven dudes being just about the creepiest things I've ever seen!