In 2009 Matt Smith became the Eleventh Doctor in the BBC’s long-running sci-fi show Doctor Who, at the age of 27. Having to follow David Tennant was no easy feat, but he did a great job for four years.

He’s dabbled with film, mostly in supporting roles, but has had more success on TV in the likes of Netflix’s The Crown as Prince Philip, and killing it – literally – as Prince Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon.

This film sees him in a starring role, alongside Morfydd Clark, albeit with a low budget, brought to the screen by both the BBC and BFI.

Having had a young son, Owen (Arthur Shaw), Richard (Smith) decides to move back to his family farm with his wife Juliette (Clark).

While putting her son to bed, Juliette discovers that Owen hears voices. He soon after displays some troubling behaviour, which they take him to a specialist clinic for.

Richard believes much of it is down to their neighbour telling a local story that has now become mythical folklore of strange goings on their land.

However after doing some digging, literally, he discovers there may be more to this myth than he realises.

This is the follow up to Daniel Kokotajlo’s directorial debut, 2017’s Apostasy, and is based on Andrew Michael Hurley’s 2019 novel of the same name.

Certainly the director does well in creating the time period, which feels to be in the late seventies, seemingly shot with a retro filter.

Where he struggles however is not so much establishing a chilling atmosphere, which he does fairly well mostly through an impressive score, but in delivering the goods, making it a film that is all atmosphere and no substance.

The film is almost a homage to The Wicker Man, as it explores how a new couple to the area introduced to the local myth. And the myth itself is fairly intriguing, but unfortunately the narrative builds to a finale that can only be described as a bit of a cinematic boob.

Both Smith and Clark do well with what they have to work with, but certainly in Smith’s case, he should definitely stick to the small screen, as that’s where he’s enjoying most of his success right now.

This may well be a case of a film having ambitions greater than its independent budget could manage, with the result being a slow-paced, ineffective horror, sadly leaving its audience completely unsatiated.