FILM REVIEW: Fréwaka (2024)
- Gav
- Apr 12
- 2 min read
Fréwaka - New Release Review
Director: Aislinn Clarke
Starring: Claire Monnelly, Bríd Ní Neachtian, Aleksandra Bystrzhitskaya, Tara Breathnach
Written by: Aislinn Clarke
Produced by: Dermot Lavery
Cinematography by: Narayan Van Maele
Original Score by: Die Hexen
Synopsis:
After being sent to a remote village to care for an elderly woman, Shoo becomes plagued with a trauma from her past that has disorienting effects.
Thoughts:
Aislinn Clarke's sophomore feature film is a claustrophobic and unsettling nightmare that works as a testimonial to tales of Irish folklore and shines a light on the gorgeous yet haunting Gaeilge.
Claire Monnelly stars as Suibhan, or Shoo to her friends, a home help who has just been assigned her next position. She must travel to a remote village to care for Peig, a troubled, elderly woman who now suffers from agarophobia and claims that she is being haunted by "them". But Peig isn't the only one being haunted by something. Shoo has just lost her Mother to suicide and although we find out early on that their relationship was basically non-existent, Shoo is in a bad place, rightfully, and as she gets intwined with Peig, her life is about to be put in severe jeopardy.
I really enjoyed Aislinn Clarke's debut, the 2018 creepy found footage horror 'The Devil's Doorway' but you can tell straight away how much she has matured as a filmmaker here. Both films show off Clarke's natural and deft ability to create tense and unrelenting atmospheres but 'Fréwaka' goes beyond that and through compelling characters with nuanced performances, she slowly guides the viewers through a measured yet nightmarish foray into Ireland's cruel, institutional treatment of women by lacing it with perilous mythology and foreboding supernatural elements.
'Fréwaka' is the phonetic spelling of the Irish word "fréamhacha", which translates to English as "roots" and that's essentially what the film is all about. It explores Shoo's deeply traumatic past and how it is interwoven into Peig's life through a slowly calculated reveal. The film naturally touches on religious aspects too and how the fear of Church affected both woman.
Helped by an ominous sound design and a haunting score by Irish composer Die Hexen, Clarke is able to conjure up some frightening sequences without having to deliver any traditional jump scares. One of the glaring attributes that helps in building a taut atmosphere is the location of the film. It's mostly shot in Peig's large and ancient country house and Clarke uses (what seems like) the natural creaks of the doors and floorboards perfectly. The film is set in the glorious Irish countryside and really exudes the"small town" mentality that is infamous with legendary folk horror films like 'The Wicker Man'. And without giving away any major spoilers, it's difficult not to point to Robin Hardy's film as a huge inspiration to the finale.
Claire Monnelly and Bríd Ní Neachtian have great chemisty together and their performances are what drives the film forward towards it's shocking climax. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Aislinn Clarke does next.
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½
'Fréwaka' arrives in Irish/UK cinemas and Shudder from April 25th
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