
Fréwaka is directed by Aislinn Clarke director of The Devil’s Doorway (2018)
Fréwaka is an Irish folklore horror film that does tackle generational trauma, admittedly there are so many horror films that tackle this theme. However the film is able to still stand as the performances are very strong, the film having a haunting atmosphere and the way the trauma is executed really works.
The performances are strong and always keep the viewer on the edge of their seat, Clare Monnelly in particular does a really great job of capturing the film’s atmosphere. Whether it be through the dialogue which is almost entirely spoken in Irish, the facial acting that tells the viewer all they really need to know in certain scenes. The generational trauma that is passed down from each generations is felt through the performances and is what gives the film it’s unique feel.
The dialogue as I said before is almost entirely spoken in Irish, which benefits the film since after all it is about Irish folklore. At points it feels like Clarke is trying to tackle Ireland’s past and present cultural landscape which is quite fascinating, the way the film executes trauma is different than what we usually get. There’s a story going on here about generations going through some sort of trauma that are each quite haunting in their own right, when you combine that with the strong dialogue that slowly reels the viewer in you have yourself quite a solid film.
Atmosphere is the part this film really nails, right from the beginning you can feel the haunting yet inviting atmosphere enter the film. We get a bunch of moments where we as the viewers feel lonely, it takes place in a small town that isolates our main character Shoo (played by Clare Monnelly), the interactions are filled with paranoia and even makes the viewer question what is really going on here?
Overall Fréwaka might not be doing anything entirely new, but the way the film goes about the execution combined with the genuinely strong acting and thrilling atmosphere makes for a fun ride that I would recommend giving a go.
Fréwaka is available on Shudder!
7/10 B








