The Unkindness of Ravens

The Unkindness of Ravens is a 2016 British horror film directed by Lawrie Brewster and starring Jamie Scott Gordon as a veteran that comes face to face with demonic ravens.[2][3][4] The film had its world premiere on 27 August 2016 at the London FrightFest Film Festival.[5] Prior to its release the horror website Bloody Disgusting marked The Unkindness of Ravens as one of their "10 Must-See Independent Horror Films of 2016".[6]

This article is about the Scottish film. For the 1985 book, see An Unkindness of Ravens.

The Unkindness of Ravens
Film poster
Directed byLawrie Brewster
Written bySarah Daly
StarringJamie Scott Gordon
Production
companies
3rd Monkey Productions
Dark Dunes Productions
Lights Out Productions
Zoghogg Studios
Release date
  • 27 August 2016 (2016-08-27) (FrightFest)
[1]
Running time
85 minutes
CountryScotland (United Kingdom)
LanguageEnglish

In November 2015 Brewster released a promotional video showing people dressed in raven costumes from the film pranking walkers and sightseers in Scotland.[7]

Synopsis

Andrew (Jamie Scott Gordon) is a homeless war veteran that has been experiencing terrifying flashbacks of his time in the Army, flashbacks that contain visions of imposing raven-like creatures. These flashbacks are so intimidating that Andrew has developed a phobia of ravens and as a result he travels to a retreat in the Scottish Highlands to come to terms with his past and his fears. However he soon discovers that this is easier said than done, as this move will bring him face to face with a supernatural force known only as the Raven Warriors.

Cast
  • Jamie Scott Gordon as Andrew
  • Derek McIlhatton as Pte Mcilhatton
  • Dougie Clark as Lee
  • Amanda Gilliland as Angela
  • Mark Hunter as Pte Hunter
  • D.T. Wilson as Hostage
  • Ross Campbell as Rebel Soldier
  • Farooqi Muskwati as Rebel Commander
  • Raphael Zanders-McNeil as Rebel Soldier
  • Jamie Harrison-Grundy as Rebel Soldier
  • Benjamin Ferguson as Lost Soul
  • David Izatt as Lost Soul
  • Craig J. Seath as Lost Soul
  • Michael Brewster as 'The Ravens Are Coming' Lost Soul
  • David Ross as Lost Soul

Development

While developing the film Daly and Brewster were inspired by figures from Norse and Celtic mythology such as the Valkyries and The Morrígan.[8] Filming took place during 2014 in Fife, Edinburgh, and Perthshire, and moved into post-production in 2015.[9][10] To help with costs, Brewster opened a crowdfunding campaign through Kickstarter, with the goal to raise £40,000.[11] The campaign was successful and marked the first Scottish crowdfunding campaign to raise such a large amount of money and the highest funded British horror film on Kickstarter.[10][12]

Reception

Horror film critic Kim Newman reviewed The Unkindness of Ravens, writing that it was "a demanding, complicated film which might well require repeat viewings to parse fully – but this team are doing something interesting and unusual at a budget level where it would be easier to turn out a standard slasher-in-the-woods."[13] SciFiNow also wrote a review, commenting that the film had its flaws but that there was "a lot to admire here" and praised its "impressive visuals bolstered by a fantastic lead performance".[14]

References
  1. "Frightfest schedule". Frightfest. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  2. Unsworth, Martin. "Get Ready for THE UNKINDNESS OF RAVENS". Starburst Magazine. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  3. Hatfull, Jonathan (16 August 2016). "The Unkindness Of Ravens is "an unimaginable battle for survival"". SciFiNow. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  4. "Lawrie Brewster's 'The Unkindness of Ravens' Looks Insane". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  5. "Lawrie Brewster's 'The Unkindness of Ravens' to World Premiere at FrightFest!". Bloody Disgusting. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  6. Thurman, Trace (20 January 2016). "10 Must-See Independent Horror Films of 2016!". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  7. Logan, Ross. "Terrifying 'Raven Warriors" scare people senseless in prank video promoting new horror film". Mirror. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  8. Squires, John. "Demonic Birds Strike in The Unkindness of Ravens; Help Fund and Watch Extreme Trailer". Dread Central. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  9. "Interview with Laurie Brewster: The Creative Future of Edinburgh". Impulse Magazine. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  10. Clark, Leeza. "Horror film The Unkindness of Ravens is relying on the kindness of strangers". The Courier. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  11. Hamman, Cody. "TRAILER FOR LAWRIE BREWSTER'S THE UNKINDNESS OF RAVENS WINGS ITS WAY ONLINE". JoBlo.com. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  12. Gelmini, David. "The Unkindness of Ravens Now the Highest Funded British Horror Film in Kickstarter History". Dread Central. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  13. Newman, Kim (27 August 2016). "FrightFest review – The Unkindness of Ravens". The Kim Newman Web Site. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  14. Hatfull, Jonathan (28 August 2016). "FrightFest 2016 Day 3 – ghouls, grudges, cleanses and ravens". SciFiNow. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
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