Shepherd, 2021.
Directed by Russell Owen.
Starring Tom Hughes, Kate Dickie, Gaia Weiss, Greta Scacchi, and Jamie Marie Leary.
SYNOPSIS:
Following the sudden demise of her adulterous wife, a troubled young man takes up a job as a shepherd in an isolated, weather-beaten island which has an ominous secret of its own.
This atmospheric chiller written and directed by Russell Owen riffs off of familiar isolation horror movie tropes but somehow still manages to be an intriguing watch. Shepherd follows the story of Eric Black (Tom Hughes), a neurotic man plagued by recurrent nightmares of his recently deceased pregnant wife Rebecca (Gaia Weiss). To make matters worse Eric is even estranged from his family, due to the disapproving relationship he had with Rebecca.
Hammered to the point of desperation and wanting to get away from it all, Eric answers a newspaper advert to take up a position as a shepherd on a remote island, somewhere in the Scottish Highlands. Fisher (Kate Dickie), a half-sighted boat woman ferries Eric across and lays down some strange ground rules that he must abide by, as he carries out the mundane tasks that’ve been assigned to him. But tending to a flock of sheep on a lonely isle, becomes the least of Eric’s problems as he fights to retain his sanity amidst the madness unfolding around him.
Shepherd is the kind of film that must be appreciated solely for its eerie atmospherics. Starting from the movie’s setting, from wind battered beaches to fog smothered cliffs, there is this pervasive sense of doom that is constantly overwhelming the surroundings. You can almost feel the sting of the icy air and the alkaline sea-breeze. Every squish of the mud-caked soil, every creak of the weathered cottage; is all perceived thanks to the exceptional sound design employed in this bleak film. And amalgamated seamlessly with it is a truly unsettling, off-kilter score composed by Callum Donaldson. What’s interesting here is that Donaldson doubled up as the movie’s sound designer as well, which explains why the soundtrack and sound design mesh together so flawlessly. DOP Richard Stoddard compliments the narrative’s somber tone with some stunning sepulchral imagery that will haunt you even after the credits roll. Russell Owen’s direction is both confident and assured, which makes him a talent to keep an eye out for, and the story he’s conjured up certainly pushes all the right buttons.
BIFA nominee Tom Hughes (Cemetery Junction) delivers a good enough performance as the emotionally unstable and guilt-ridden Eric. He is a man walking on the edge-of-a-knife and there’s no knowing when he’d fall off the edge. Hughes captures these emotions fairly well, but one can’t help but wonder what could have been achieved in the hands of a better actor. Scottish actress Kate Dickie (Game of Thrones) on the other hand is a different kettle of fish altogether. As expected, Dickie steals the scene whenever she comes onscreen, imbuing her character with the right dose of mystery, foreboding and paranoia. I mean the woman is downright terrifying at times, especially in the latter half of the film, when things go bloody mental. Gaia Weiss (Vikings) doesn’t get adequate screentime to showcase her acting prowess but certainly contributes to the movie in the form of some creepy imagery that get sunder your skin.
The feeling of ‘been-there-done-that’ is strong with this film yes, but there’s still an awful lot to like in this nifty little isolation horror piece as well. Give it a look see.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Hasitha Fernando is a part-time medical practitioner and full-time cinephile. Follow him on Twitter via @DoctorCinephile for regular updates on the world of entertainment.
