I will admit that the extremely slow pace tested my patience at times, but I thought the payoff was worth it. I assume the characters were intentionally written to be unlikable, but for me, the result was that I wasn't very interested in them. I also don't think the story does a good enough job connecting the transgressions they made with the consequences. Still, it did have the feeling that something was building, and that is mostly what kept my interest. I'm not going to recommend The Feast, but I did get some enjoyment out of it.
67 Reviews
eerie atmosphere
ferguson-617 November 2021
Greetings again from the darkness. It's safe to say all seven deadly sins are on display in the first feature film from director Lee Haven Jones and screenwriter Roger Williams. In fact, by the time the end credits roll, it seems likely a few more sins have been added to the list. The film definitely serves as savage commentary on the attitudes of the elite class, especially the nouveau rich, while also scratching the itch of those who prefer their horror filled with creepy atmosphere.
We first glimpse Cadi (Annes Elwy, LITTLE WOMEN, 2017) as she staggers up to the front entrance of a home in the country. Looking wet and disheveled, Cadi is late for her gig as the help for a dinner party. Rarely speaking and often staring blankly at family members through mysterious occurrences, Cadi works with Glenda (Nia Roberts), the lady of the house, to prepare the three-course meal. We know something is off with Cadi and her ominous presence, but this is no normal family she's contracted with. Glenda's husband Gwyn (Julian Lewis Jones) is a Member of Parliament and the kind of guy who boasts about shooting the two rabbits on that evening's menu ... despite the fact that we know he didn't. Their two sons are Guto, a guitar-playing drug addict who has recently moved back home after an overdose in London; and Gweiryydd (Sion Alun Davies), an odd young man training for a triathlon and enjoying his own spandex a bit too much.
The house itself is also a character. Stark, cold and modern, and displaying abstract art that represents the local land, it seems quite out of place on the farmland. So we have a house that doesn't belong, a dysfunctional family that's out of place, and Cadi who is the biggest outlier of all. Things get more bizarre once the guests begin to arrive. Euros (Rhodri Meilir) is a shady agent/businessman who we learn has helped Gwyn and Glenda reach a new level of financial success by leasing out their farm land to companies drilling for resources. It turns out the dinner party is a ruse to get their neighbor Mair (Lisa Palfrey) to join in the newfound riches. We quickly note that Mair's dress, demeanor, and reaction to Glenda's showing off this lifestyle, puts the two families at odds. Mair's husband's delay in joining the party is a more important detail than originally thought.
This is a rare Welsh-language folk horror tale, and though it's not lacking in blood, its best elements are the excruciatingly slow-burn beginning as suspense builds in regards to Cadi's motives/powers/intentions. This haunting pace with chilling scenes and odd characters keep us in an anxious and unaware state for the first 2/3 of the movie. This is no modern day Cleaver family, and the sons are no Wally and Beaver. The nuanced approach allows us to build disgust towards the family and how they've exploited the land and other people for their own success, while also trying to interpret Cadi.
Going against nature is becoming a more frequent topic in films these days, and the payback is often harsh and unkind. Cinematographer Bjorn Bratberg expertly captures the interior and exterior moments, while composer Samuel Sim provides eerie background accompaniment. Lee Haven Jones has not taken a traditional approach to horror, and the creativity and atmosphere will likely be appreciated by many.
In theaters and On Demand beginning November 19, 2021.
We first glimpse Cadi (Annes Elwy, LITTLE WOMEN, 2017) as she staggers up to the front entrance of a home in the country. Looking wet and disheveled, Cadi is late for her gig as the help for a dinner party. Rarely speaking and often staring blankly at family members through mysterious occurrences, Cadi works with Glenda (Nia Roberts), the lady of the house, to prepare the three-course meal. We know something is off with Cadi and her ominous presence, but this is no normal family she's contracted with. Glenda's husband Gwyn (Julian Lewis Jones) is a Member of Parliament and the kind of guy who boasts about shooting the two rabbits on that evening's menu ... despite the fact that we know he didn't. Their two sons are Guto, a guitar-playing drug addict who has recently moved back home after an overdose in London; and Gweiryydd (Sion Alun Davies), an odd young man training for a triathlon and enjoying his own spandex a bit too much.
The house itself is also a character. Stark, cold and modern, and displaying abstract art that represents the local land, it seems quite out of place on the farmland. So we have a house that doesn't belong, a dysfunctional family that's out of place, and Cadi who is the biggest outlier of all. Things get more bizarre once the guests begin to arrive. Euros (Rhodri Meilir) is a shady agent/businessman who we learn has helped Gwyn and Glenda reach a new level of financial success by leasing out their farm land to companies drilling for resources. It turns out the dinner party is a ruse to get their neighbor Mair (Lisa Palfrey) to join in the newfound riches. We quickly note that Mair's dress, demeanor, and reaction to Glenda's showing off this lifestyle, puts the two families at odds. Mair's husband's delay in joining the party is a more important detail than originally thought.
This is a rare Welsh-language folk horror tale, and though it's not lacking in blood, its best elements are the excruciatingly slow-burn beginning as suspense builds in regards to Cadi's motives/powers/intentions. This haunting pace with chilling scenes and odd characters keep us in an anxious and unaware state for the first 2/3 of the movie. This is no modern day Cleaver family, and the sons are no Wally and Beaver. The nuanced approach allows us to build disgust towards the family and how they've exploited the land and other people for their own success, while also trying to interpret Cadi.
Going against nature is becoming a more frequent topic in films these days, and the payback is often harsh and unkind. Cinematographer Bjorn Bratberg expertly captures the interior and exterior moments, while composer Samuel Sim provides eerie background accompaniment. Lee Haven Jones has not taken a traditional approach to horror, and the creativity and atmosphere will likely be appreciated by many.
In theaters and On Demand beginning November 19, 2021.
Eaten Alive, By the Outside...
Xstal22 November 2021
Not enough
PedroPires9019 December 2021
Even for a slow burn, the pace is super slow, as there is an absence of conflict for a big part of it.
The horror is all left for the end. Nothing wrong with that. I love films - like La Llorona - who did that and it worked. The problem here is that the film is so eventless in the first two acts that I wasn't interested anymore.
Interesting themes and some good bloody scenes.
The horror is all left for the end. Nothing wrong with that. I love films - like La Llorona - who did that and it worked. The problem here is that the film is so eventless in the first two acts that I wasn't interested anymore.
Interesting themes and some good bloody scenes.
Folk/Horror and Eco/Horror good movie
redtiago13 September 2021
I saw it Thursday night at MotelX.
At the closing session of MotelX, this film received the Méliés D'argent - Best European Feature 2021 award.
I understand the Jury's decision, as it is a film that brings together two strong trends in current horror cinema, Folk/Horror, with a story largely based on Gaelic folklore using Welsh language, and Echo/Horror in vogue for its role in social awareness of the climate emergency we are currently experiencing.
Forethoughts aside, it's actually a good movie with excellent cinematography, gorgeous footage, well-crafted with a captivating story in increasing tension and good straight, hard horror with well-executed gore.
Its negative aspects, in my opinion, are an initial narrative rhythm that is too slow and despite the good performances of the actors in general, some "overacting" in some scenes. However, i highlight it is a good horror movie that I recommend.
At the closing session of MotelX, this film received the Méliés D'argent - Best European Feature 2021 award.
I understand the Jury's decision, as it is a film that brings together two strong trends in current horror cinema, Folk/Horror, with a story largely based on Gaelic folklore using Welsh language, and Echo/Horror in vogue for its role in social awareness of the climate emergency we are currently experiencing.
Forethoughts aside, it's actually a good movie with excellent cinematography, gorgeous footage, well-crafted with a captivating story in increasing tension and good straight, hard horror with well-executed gore.
Its negative aspects, in my opinion, are an initial narrative rhythm that is too slow and despite the good performances of the actors in general, some "overacting" in some scenes. However, i highlight it is a good horror movie that I recommend.
Bland.
Victor_Fallon1 January 2022
It's a straightforward tale told very slowly. Unfortunately, there are no bright or engaging characters to enjoy. Everyone is deliberately subdued (bordering on catatonic). Actors move through the scenes like chess pieces and by the time we get to the 'horror' elements, there is nobody to root for. Character motivations remain obtuse and metaphorical, rather than intriguing.
The decision to use the Welsh language doesn't add anything. If this was a traditional folk tale it could have given it some depth. Unfortunately it's a rather modern story beneath the attempts at symbolism, so the language just adds another layer of abstraction, which it doesn't need.
It's nicely shot and the acting is fairly decent despite the lifeless material and one-note direction. As somebody who likes a slow burn, I found this punishingly slow. Sadly, it does not reward patience.
The decision to use the Welsh language doesn't add anything. If this was a traditional folk tale it could have given it some depth. Unfortunately it's a rather modern story beneath the attempts at symbolism, so the language just adds another layer of abstraction, which it doesn't need.
It's nicely shot and the acting is fairly decent despite the lifeless material and one-note direction. As somebody who likes a slow burn, I found this punishingly slow. Sadly, it does not reward patience.
Don't Mess With Her Land
jeroduptown8 December 2021
This Welsh girl comes to the house to help serve at a dinner party. But she's 'of the land' and the homeowners are mining in that land...a land that's been forbidden to touch. She brings the wrath on those that are violating the ridge. Creepy. Bizarre. & Pretty Good.
Quite slow with little to no reward
baudelaire-1897116 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The protagonist came off quite slow as in mentally challenged for most of the movie. It was an unusual acting choice. I guess they were going for curiosity or wonderment. She is definitely a local forest spirit or sprite and not Mother Nature as most suggest. In one scene they are cutting up melon (a food foreign to the area and having to be shipped in as the mother points out) for a fruit tray and when she tastes it she put it down in disgust however when offered local food from the farm she ate ravenously. Also she only came out to stop the development for the sole fact it would disturb the local area which has been up until the events in the movie untouched. I just wish the pace moved along faster.
It also falls apart on repeated watching. She arrives with her hair wet and we later find out her car crashed into a lake at the very beginning, yet her clothes were dry. She left the two dead rabbits for the father yet acted as if they were the most disgusting things she ever saw when asked to dress them for the pot. The last 10-15 mins was where all the action was condensed however the rest of the movie was pretty one note till that point. The shock value bits seemed like just that. A cheap ploy as some of it didn't fit with the theme of the movie.
It also falls apart on repeated watching. She arrives with her hair wet and we later find out her car crashed into a lake at the very beginning, yet her clothes were dry. She left the two dead rabbits for the father yet acted as if they were the most disgusting things she ever saw when asked to dress them for the pot. The last 10-15 mins was where all the action was condensed however the rest of the movie was pretty one note till that point. The shock value bits seemed like just that. A cheap ploy as some of it didn't fit with the theme of the movie.
Artfully disturbing folk horror.
Otkon21 November 2021
The story unfolds very slowly around a dinner party of an unpleasantly wealthy family and an awkward young woman who is hired to help cook and serve the meal.
Bizarre happenings involving the peculiar assistant, the food and the guests threaten our nouveau riche hostess's desperate plan to get her neighbors to invest in mining on their surrounding properties.
Nightmare fuel ensues.
This movie is not for everyone. Being in Welsh, the movie has this air of otherworldliness to it. The filmmakers let the visuals do a lot of the talking. And not much is explained in detail.
I enjoyed it for its atmospheric mystique and its ancillary exposé on the dangers of triathlons and heroin.
Bizarre happenings involving the peculiar assistant, the food and the guests threaten our nouveau riche hostess's desperate plan to get her neighbors to invest in mining on their surrounding properties.
Nightmare fuel ensues.
This movie is not for everyone. Being in Welsh, the movie has this air of otherworldliness to it. The filmmakers let the visuals do a lot of the talking. And not much is explained in detail.
I enjoyed it for its atmospheric mystique and its ancillary exposé on the dangers of triathlons and heroin.
Slow and Painfully Predicitable
zkachemov28 November 2021
Slow burners are either a hit or miss and usually from recent experience a miss. This falls into the miss category big time. Right from the start the main character is painful to watch. She is purposefully created to be creepy yet its quite amusing seeing the mother of the family deal with all of her issues. In real life the family would have sent this replacement maid home within 5 minutes. But it is a movie so I guess that is beside the point. Decent pretty cinematography.
The biggest issue with this movie is the predictability. Why endure.an hour of nothing going on to have an ending a five year old would have guessed. Dont waste your time.
The biggest issue with this movie is the predictability. Why endure.an hour of nothing going on to have an ending a five year old would have guessed. Dont waste your time.
Much to digest
kosmasp22 October 2021
You can tell right from the start that something is off. You cannot tell what it is, but the vibe and the tension is there from the start. There is also a lot of humor or class division things in there ... the bike outside ... the general health craze and many other things. You could argue there are certain sins involved. Maybe a bit too subtle for some.
And while you see that thing as something obvious, there is much more behind it. And when ... well the dirt hits the fan ... things might get a bit too much for some viewers. Remember this is not easy to watch from a certain point forward. If you are easily offended and "squirmy" ... better think twice before you watch it.
And while you see that thing as something obvious, there is much more behind it. And when ... well the dirt hits the fan ... things might get a bit too much for some viewers. Remember this is not easy to watch from a certain point forward. If you are easily offended and "squirmy" ... better think twice before you watch it.
6/10
athanasiosze5 January 2022
This is a poor man's "Antichrist" with a reversed message in comparison with Lars Von Trier movie. "Nature is satan's church" is the message of "Antichrist", whereas, the message of "The feast" is ecological.
A watchable indie art/horror, too slow at the first half. Second half is more intense. Good actors, good directing. Not very interesting.
I have watched much worse movies the last 2 years, therefore, i believe that a lot of horror fans will enjoy this. Welsh language is a beautiful language. But definitely, this is not a "must see" movie.
A watchable indie art/horror, too slow at the first half. Second half is more intense. Good actors, good directing. Not very interesting.
I have watched much worse movies the last 2 years, therefore, i believe that a lot of horror fans will enjoy this. Welsh language is a beautiful language. But definitely, this is not a "must see" movie.
Gratuitous Gore..blech
Bturiace21 May 2022
I suppose this is what some want in "horror".
A bit tasteless if you ask me.
I feel it started the film started out well played, intense and provoking. But just ended cheesy, and leaving me queasy.
The lead female part Cadi, introduced with a mysterious intensity, certainly was frighteningly annoying. Nearly lost me there. But I stuck around to the end.
If title of this review entices you, dig in.
A bit tasteless if you ask me.
I feel it started the film started out well played, intense and provoking. But just ended cheesy, and leaving me queasy.
The lead female part Cadi, introduced with a mysterious intensity, certainly was frighteningly annoying. Nearly lost me there. But I stuck around to the end.
If title of this review entices you, dig in.
Fail?
programskinalog21 November 2021
Don't be fooled by the trailer
trumpisafatpileofshit27 February 2022
It looked promising and the trailer made it seem like it had received rave reviews. I will say that it was very well filmed, a great location, and fair actors. Now, according to Rotten Tomatoes "The Feast" grossed $8,000... do you need to read that again? Grossed eight thousand dollars. That said it does an excellent job making you feel anxious as the awkward character has some cringey feeling moments. Yet it misses the mark and the scenes shown in the trailer that look scary or bizarre are pretty much all out of context. Sadly, the best, and my favorite, part of the whole film is the song that plays as the credits start to roll. If for no other reason watch so you can hear the song, and then if you like me, Shazam it so you can listen later.
Great concept but too slow
lankyalun15 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
First of all I would like to say that some reviews stating that the use of Welsh language is symbolism are so ignorant. Welsh is spoken by 600,000 people in Wales and many communities are first language Welsh, so why not make the film in Welsh to appeal to this audience. You wouldn't say the same about a Danish movie even though majority of Danish people speak English. It's a huge part of Welsh culture and it's survival is a miracle. Therefore, long live the language and I hope more films are made in Welsh.
This film has a great concept and is so current to what is happening in Wales right now. Many rural communities are being devoured by greedy corporation here in Wales. The idea of mother nature taking revenge here is brilliant. I do feel that many people won't get to the good part of this film though as the first hour was soooo slow. It didn't really develop any of the characters. A lot of looking into the distance, minimal dialogue that doesn't go anywhere and long takes of the maid walking around the house glaring at the residents. I understand the purpose of this was to set the tone and vibe but it was very over done.
Once everyhting kicks off it's great although the message of the film gets a bit confused along the way + you realise that the main characters were under developed therefore motives weren't that clear.
This film has a great concept and is so current to what is happening in Wales right now. Many rural communities are being devoured by greedy corporation here in Wales. The idea of mother nature taking revenge here is brilliant. I do feel that many people won't get to the good part of this film though as the first hour was soooo slow. It didn't really develop any of the characters. A lot of looking into the distance, minimal dialogue that doesn't go anywhere and long takes of the maid walking around the house glaring at the residents. I understand the purpose of this was to set the tone and vibe but it was very over done.
Once everyhting kicks off it's great although the message of the film gets a bit confused along the way + you realise that the main characters were under developed therefore motives weren't that clear.
Strange
billcr1221 November 2021
This is my first Welsh language film and itnia a strange one. A wealthy family living on a former farm have a dinner with a man who has made them rich through some deals having to do with drilling on their land. A neighbor woman is hired as a server for a feast with freshly killed rabbit as the main fare. Two sons with little ambition are also present for the feast. It unfolds slowly and has a rather bloody finish with a messgae on Mother Nature.
Highly underrated Welsh arthouse
Sankari_Suomi7 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Lee Haven Jones (Wizards vs. Aliens, Pobol y Cwm, and the controversial Caerdydd) dips his toe into the porous border between fantasy drama and folk horror with a highly ambitious experimental film that's as weird and creepy as the Welsh language itself.
The staging is mundane: an evening meal hosted by a rich businessman and his wife, assisted by a young waitress hired from the local hotel. But even before the guests arrive, strange tensions are building, and we quickly discover that not everything is at it seems...
What does Euros know about the strange discovery at the heart of the recent prospecting excavation? Where did Cadi learn to cook? Why does Gweirydd keep fondling his genitals? You won't learn the answers to any of these questions, but it's fun to speculate!
Gwledd (The Feast) enjoyed stunning first weekend box office returns of $3,620 in the US and Canada-making it the most commercially successful Welsh film in history-but this grim, slow burning post-modern Celtic noir will suit the taste of only the most discerning audiences.
I rate Gwledd at 23.31 on the Haglee Scale, which works out at a sinister 7/10 on IMDB.
The staging is mundane: an evening meal hosted by a rich businessman and his wife, assisted by a young waitress hired from the local hotel. But even before the guests arrive, strange tensions are building, and we quickly discover that not everything is at it seems...
What does Euros know about the strange discovery at the heart of the recent prospecting excavation? Where did Cadi learn to cook? Why does Gweirydd keep fondling his genitals? You won't learn the answers to any of these questions, but it's fun to speculate!
Gwledd (The Feast) enjoyed stunning first weekend box office returns of $3,620 in the US and Canada-making it the most commercially successful Welsh film in history-but this grim, slow burning post-modern Celtic noir will suit the taste of only the most discerning audiences.
I rate Gwledd at 23.31 on the Haglee Scale, which works out at a sinister 7/10 on IMDB.
It was just weirdness
Neptune16515 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
How things went from kinda off to people going insane.couldn't tell if they were hallucinating or under her influence.she stands there in the kitchen for 5 mins watching this family.then the mom cut up sons leg why.and feed it to the guest who also goes insane. What was the goal for the plot? What her purpose from killing them all??! And she stand there and they say to her Helleo you are our waiters!! Really??! This movie sucked. I regret wasting my time watching this crap.
Creepy
Movi3DO2 January 2022
Parasite + The Invitation + Eco Horror
Although not as good as either movies mentioned above, The Feast effectively added eco horror that made for a creepy slow burn. Many scenes were straight up bizarre and fairly nasty that kept me on the edge after each part of the story. Of course the horror vibe from this movie is very A24, even though it's IFC. My problem was some parts felt unclear and random.
Overall, it's a pretty good horror suspense. 7-7.5/10.
Although not as good as either movies mentioned above, The Feast effectively added eco horror that made for a creepy slow burn. Many scenes were straight up bizarre and fairly nasty that kept me on the edge after each part of the story. Of course the horror vibe from this movie is very A24, even though it's IFC. My problem was some parts felt unclear and random.
Overall, it's a pretty good horror suspense. 7-7.5/10.
Swallowed by Boredom
ApeSht14 May 2022
Fell asleep twice at night trying to watch it and then took an afternoon nap the next day trying to finish it. The Feast isn't gory and its story is yawn inducing; elites vs common folk/nature, but it takes years to get to anything good. My appetite for horror has not been satisfied...back to the hunt for the next one.
all's Welsh that ends Welsh
lee_eisenberg21 May 2022
The eerie horror flick "The Feast" is only the third Welsh-language movie that I've seen, after "Hedd Wynn" (about poet Ellis Evans) and "Patagonia" (about the Welsh community in Argentina). It focuses on a young woman working as a cook for an affluent family in rural Wales. Slowly but surely, it becomes apparent that this particular dinner will not be a normal one.
The movie combines the genres of horror movies focusing on the environment (since the family wants to launch a drilling project) and horror movies in which unpleasant things befall rich people. Some viewers might complain about the slow pace, but I think that the movie deliberately moves slowly to let the terror build up. This movie won't be for everyone, but if you can tolerate the slow pace and hearing an unfamiliar language, then you'll probably enjoy it.
So yes, watshia di dy hun!
The movie combines the genres of horror movies focusing on the environment (since the family wants to launch a drilling project) and horror movies in which unpleasant things befall rich people. Some viewers might complain about the slow pace, but I think that the movie deliberately moves slowly to let the terror build up. This movie won't be for everyone, but if you can tolerate the slow pace and hearing an unfamiliar language, then you'll probably enjoy it.
So yes, watshia di dy hun!
Clever
avindugunasinghe3 August 2022
The Feast sets up in a serene background and becomes a twisted horror story on a short notice. It's sudden pickup of phase cleverly conjure the predatory ambush. Excellent character set-up. A fresh innovative approach to it's theme.
Drab and Dull
dana-kellish31 July 2022
The filmmakers have confused artsy with blandness. There are a couple of horror-worthy scenes, but that is all, and the fact that you have to wade through the muck until 85% of the movie is over makes it unworthy of the effort. I love movies that build slowly, but the payoff has to be worth it. In this case, it's not.
Slow, strange and didn't work for me
jtindahouse24 November 2021
I believe 'The Feast' is my first Welsh film. I've been to Wales and remembered them speaking English, so I was a little surprised to find myself reading subtitles. I don't mind the odd foreign language film though. It usually focuses me more I find. Sadly the film didn't really work for me.
The build up in this film is extremely slow and drawn out. Almost 50 minutes in and I felt like nothing significant had happened. The film is leading towards a big finale where it goes off the wall bonkers, and it really does, but a few are going to have already checked out by that stage.
It's a strange film and one that isn't going to click with everybody. I personally never really found it scary or horrifying in any way, just weird basically. Not one I can recommend. 5/10.
The build up in this film is extremely slow and drawn out. Almost 50 minutes in and I felt like nothing significant had happened. The film is leading towards a big finale where it goes off the wall bonkers, and it really does, but a few are going to have already checked out by that stage.
It's a strange film and one that isn't going to click with everybody. I personally never really found it scary or horrifying in any way, just weird basically. Not one I can recommend. 5/10.
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