Official synopsis
The Morrigan follows an archaeologist specializing in Gaelic mythology who travels with her teenage daughter to a remote region of Ireland. The two are forced to fight for their lives as a vengeful Pagan War Goddess is released from her tomb.
Review
Writer/director Colum Eastwood’s The Morrigan (U.K., 2025) sets out to deliver many elements, such as commentary on misogyny and the patriarchal holding down of women, familial drama, Irish folklore and mythology and related folk horror. Unfortunately, those elements are for the most part glossed on or hinted at, with the resulting feature being not much more than just another slice of possession horror cinema.
After a cold open set 1,500 years before the present day that sees a group of women around a bonfire being killed by a band of masked, cross-bearing men, we meet Dr. Fiona Scott (Saffron Burrows), who is pitching an archaeological dig in Ireland to discover whether the titular Irish goddess may have been a real human queen. The all-male staff relegates her to an assistant role and puts Professor Jonathan Horner (Jonathan Forbes) — with whom Fiona has a troubled history, to say the least — in charge of the dig. Her husband leaves the family, so Fiona’s rebellious teen daughter Lily (Emily Flain), expelled from boarding school for drinking but who was also intimately involved with a teacher there, must go along. Widower landowner Malachy (Toby Stephens)and his teen son Sean (Art Parkinson) seem affable enough as hosts and archaeological intern Conor (Michael Shea) also seems a good sort.
Eastwood plays rather loosely with his version of the Morrigan compared with the mythological figure who is usually portrayed as a goddess of war and fate. Here, her spirit possesses Lily after the girl opens a casket that Fiona has discovered. At this point, the film becomes a possession horror, and Morrigan sets out to terrorize and kill all the men on hand — with fears that if she leaves the island where the characters are located, her evil will spread worldwide.
With intriguing initial setups, including things being hinted at that aren’t explained well later, The Morrigan doesn’t hold up as anything more than a well-done possession horror set in an unusual locale with a riff on Pagan mythology. The social commentary is a noble effort, but the characters don’t really give viewers anyone to strongly root for, as the majority of characters are highly selfish and difficult to get invested in. Aficionados of possession horror should find enough with The Morrigan to warrant a watch, though, as its set pieces deliver a good deal of gruesome fare and creepiness.
Cineverse will debut The Morrigan on Digital and Video on Demand on February 3, 2026.
