Snare

Sam Blakeney-Edwards’ Snare is an unnerving folk-horror set in the forest home of an ancient evil. One family’s fateful decision to disturb a natural slumber leads to claustrophobic horror and dread driven by a focused directorial vision.

Deep in a mysterious forest, a family of hunters stalk their prey as uncomfortable rifts between them lead to personal frustrations. Father Adrian’s (Jay Villiers) domineering tendencies has created a distance between him and son James (Kit Clarke), whilst competent and ruthless daughter Harriett (Phoebe Sparrow) attempts to maintain relations. But as they stalk prey, the forest stalks them. And sentient roots that ensnare their prey are just the beginning of the horrors they face.

Snare is a short, folk/gothic-flavoured horror that explores the fear of the power of nature, the unknown and a world turned against us. Framing the horror around an adult family, Sam Blakeney-Edwards places imperfect people at the whims of a perfect killing machine – powered by the natural and the supernatural. The imagery of the whip-like roots and branches that ensnare characters throughout the film are genuinely memorable and scary, capturing the sense that one is powerless to stand in the way of the world when it turns against us.

The film is at its best when the forest encroaches into the hunter’s world, when it is at its most mysterious and imposing. Scenes in which a member of the family is abducted by the earth and embodied by a mysterious force allow the filmmakers to add some visual flourish and turn one member into a realised antagonist, but it does negate somewhat from the unknown terror that exists prior to the brainwashing element’s introduction into the story. The film goes from man vs. supernature to a more typical slasher/chase horror, fine for devotees but something that detracts from the overall original quality.

The triangular relationship between father, son and daughter provides an emotional engine to the film that explores some engaging and unexpected dynamics. Subtleties in the performances provide unexpected hidden depths to relations that at first seem quite stereotypical. Jay Villiers’ Adrian is an archetypal hard-ass dad whose dismissal of his son’s based on perceived weaknesses is balanced with a deeply hidden care for both his children. Harriett’s adaption to their lives earns his respect, but he lacks her caring or patience for James. A late moment suggests there is much more to this than spite or bad parenting, and creates an even greater sense of peril and empathy with the troubled family’s fate.

Snare’s atmospheric horror is its biggest strength, and audiences will be entwined in its sense of sinister gothic style from the very first emergence of its twisted environmental adversary. It suffers a little as it steers more into a traditional horror approach in its second half, and seems to lose sight of the message it wants to convey about the horrors of nature. But in total this one will find, capture and ensnare its target audience.