Official synopsis
A remorseful ex-con tries to make a fresh start in an isolated cabin but his past isn’t finished with him.
Review
Writer/director J.P. Davidson’s The Cull (U.K., 2026) blends British folk horror with gritty rural drama, and boasts a strong sense of dread throughout.
Niall (Craig Russell) is released from prison after 16 years for a crime he did not commit: the murder of his mother. A recovering substance abuser who has become a man of faith, he returns to the remote rural cabin that his mother owned. The locals are unhappy about this, particularly drug abusing, gun toting siblings Jim (Rory Wilton), Joseph (Richard Hainsworth), and Maia (Sally Geake), who claim squatter’s rights to the cabin and the surrounding property. Drug dealer Donny (Ollie Mcfarlane) is somewhat more tolerant of Niall, and has a big surprise announcement in store for him.
Niall’s plans to start afresh and hopefully solve the mystery of his mother’s death go south quickly and steadily, as he turns back to drink and drugs and is seemingly visited at night by a creature or entity with antlers. Davidson keeps the eeriness and suspense tantalizingly paced throughout, with Niall’s dramatic battle with his own demons wonderfully balanced with supernatural elements.
Niall is well written as a complex character, and Russell portrays him well, leading a strong cast. Director of Photography Lily Grimes captures the bleakness and the beauty on display wonderfully, aided by fine aural work with the score and sound design that adds to the eldritch tone of the film.
As a huge fan of folk horror, I find The Cull to be a strong entry in the subgenre. Davidson balances the evils of man and the otherworldly sylvan dangers enticingly.
The Cull screened at Tubi FrightFest Halloween, which ran October 30–31, 2026, in London, U.K.
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