This anthology of creepy campfire stories, triple-teamed by directors James Bushe, Patrick Michael Ryder, and Greig Johnson, is a delightful romp through fan-favourite horror genres. As the piece progresses through four uniquely chilling tales, it becomes increasingly clear that Lore isn’t intent on being serious. Instead, it invites the viewer to recline into familiar horror tropes through playful, and at times sharp, creepy capers.
★★★★☆
The overarching set-up upon which the four stories are hung is simplistic: four friends embark on an interactive horror experience in the woods. Organised by the wonderfully creepy Darwin, a part savoured by Richard Blake, the group start a fire and are encouraged to burn a totem whilst telling a scary story. From London gangsters escaping a demon to sex rituals performed in a tacky British B&B, these stories riff on slasher films, gothic ghost stories and more. However, as the campfire embers cool, the four companions begin to wonder how much truth lies behind these tall tales.
The recent end of Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith’s long-running and well-loved horror anthology Inside No.9 has left a hole in the dark hearts of horror fans. It doesn’t completely fill it, but Lore certainly helps to process this loss. Three out of four of the campfire stories perform the same balancing act of humour and horror that Pemberton and Shearsmith mastered. In the third folk-horror story, the loutish Steve (Rufus Hound) convinces his unenthusiastic wife into a saucy partner-swap at a B&B. His toe-curling flirting and doggish eagerness when meeting their mysterious counterparts is only made funnier in the bedroom, when he is blissfully ignorant to the witchy ritual set up around him. The echoes of Inside No.9 strongly resonate from his character. But the film manages to flip from silly to scary when the wood-bound members of this weird sex ritual reveal themselves, leading to a jumble of body parts—but not in the way that Steve envisioned.
A special mention should also go out to the final story, where a hulking cinema employee adorns a Mike Myers-style mask and starts a killing spree in a local multiplex. There are some choice kills here which live up to the bloody legacy of the slasher sub-genre—who knew a popcorn shovel could do that much damage?
However, these stronger entries do highlight the weakest. The second yarn, a gothic ghost story, has a creepy atmosphere and a familiar, well-used spook. The haunted house even looks like the home in Hellraiser! Yet, the stony-faced demeanour of this story is a disappointing divergence from the tonal balance played off so well in the other tales.
Blips in quality don’t matter in the end though, because Lore is too fun. There is no use getting bogged down in the nitty gritty when this lovingly made film demands enjoyment, best complimented by a sugary drink and salty pretzels. It is nothing serious and won’t do anything to push horror into arthouse realms, but it doesn’t have to. Sometimes, fun and well-made narrativisation is enough.
The Verdict
Maybe it has been a long day at the office and the best diagnosis is some brain-numbing fun. Or perhaps there is a lighthearted horror itch to scratch and another rewatch of the Friday the 13th franchise just can’t be justified. This is where Lore steps in, as a genuinely enjoyable romp through some highlights of the horror genre. It has a giant grin on its face throughout and, by its end, most viewers will too.
Words by Barney Nuttall
Lore is streaming on the IFC Channel from 26th August and in select UK Cinemas from 27th September.
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