The hardscrabble world of 17th century Scottish peasants is evocatively realised in Athina Rachel Tsangari’s highly original third feature. The story centres on Walter Thirsk (Caleb Landry Jones), a man caught between his ties to the local villagers and his loyalty to the landowner, Master Kent (Harry Melling). The community’s equilibrium is disrupted when three outsiders are scapegoated following a mysterious barn fire. Tensions escalate further with the arrival of Master Kent’s ambitious cousin, Edmund Jordan (Frank Dillane), who plans to convert the arable land into profitable sheep pastures, threatening the villagers’ traditional way of life. Exploring the impact of economic change on the community, Tsangari vividly creates a world steeped in ancient custom and superstition.

Notes by David O’Mahony