The Dreadful

Films set in Medieval England tend to focus on spectacle. It’s rare to find one concerned with the day to day lives of ordinary people – rarer still to find one which captures something of the mood and philosophy of the time. Dread is very much the appropriate word here, as we are invited into a space where supernatural threat seems to lurk around every corner. There’s little fantastical action, but the whole world of the film is imbued with magical potential. The hope of Heaven and terror of Hell are omnipresent concerns, and every unusual event is interpreted through a frame of reference in which demons walk abroad, imperilling body and soul.

This framework will be less surprising to those already familiar with the work of director Natasha Kermani, who brings a similar psychological focus and intensity to all her work. Here she invests heavily in depicting a world about to change, as hints of modern thinking shape the destiny of her characters. The questions they ask about the rules that bind them symbolise bigger questions beginning to shape their civilisation. Their small scale drama hints at the organic roots of enlightenment, and feels pertinent at a time when, in some places, humanity is at risk of slipping backwards into the darkness of a life ruled by superstition and fear.

The wonderfully adaptable Sophie Turner adds another string to her bow as Anne, a young woman whose husband has gone off to war, along with all the young men in the area. She lives with his mother, Morwen (Marcia Gay Harden), the two of them managing a small garden, trading what they can and just about scraping by. When Anne sees her childhood friend Jago (Kit Harington) on a nearby beach, she hopes that he will bring good news, but the reverse is true. The war wasn’t the source of wealth that everyone hoped for, he says, and his hints at the horrors he saw there, at how they have affected him, foreshadow the experiences of generations to come. He also has news about Anne’s husband which devastates the two women’s hopes.

The meat of the film focuses on Anne’s struggle to navigate what follows. Morwen, in her desperation, takes an extreme and violent approach to getting that she and Anne will need to survive. Jago, meanwhile, tries to persuade Anne to marry him and start a new life, rather than surrendering her hopes when she is still young and could have children. Caught between the two of them, and haunted by glimpses of what seems to be a demonic knight stalking her, she strives to find a way of living that will allow her to be true to her own principles.

A character-focused drama in a setting usually reserved for adventure, The Dreadful finds elements of horror in the psychological landscape, which may or may not be tied to genuine supernatural forces, and makes powerful use of what might, in another context, be a tame, mundane physical landscape. Out on the beach, where the familiar borders on the possibilities offered by the wider world, the light is clear, but the tiny boat Jago uses for fishing was no meant to travel far. Elsewhere, the horizon is perpetually obscured by trees, and there is always the possibility of danger lurking there. There is a sense of safety inside Anne’s home, which is marvellously detailed, full of all the practical tools and provisions often missing from depictions of life in the period. Morwen’s increasingly disturbing behaviour, however, makes this feel like less of a refuge and more of a trap.

Turner is impressive as always, giving Anne an initial sweetness which makes her an appealing heroine, before gradually shifting to reveal something more complex. Harden burrows down deep into her character, resulting in mumbled lines which are sometimes frustratingly hard to catch, and doesn’t quite fit with the others, though this in itself fits that psychological shift across generations. Harington shines, finally free of the ghost of Jon Snow, connecting very effectively with the period and with the troubles of a deceptively simple man. He and Turner reportedly struggled a bit with their love scenes because they spent so many years thinking of one another as siblings when working on Game Of Thrones, but it doesn’t show in the final cut.

Connecting with the film will require an adjustment for viewers who are not used to being presented with characters who think so differently from themselves. This may result in some disappointed reactions, but for those who are prepared to make the effort, there is a good deal here to engage with; and as always with Kermani’s work, it is a consummate example of craft.

Reviewed on: 20 Feb 2026