Frewaka, on Shudder

Most people think weddings and births are good things, but spooky old Peig warns her new Galic-speaking home-care nurse, as transitional junctures, they actually make people more vulnerable to the “Sidhe,” Ireland’s malevolent fairy folk. She should know, since she claims the Sidhe kidnapped her on her wedding day. Shoo (Subhan) was warned her new charge had been diagnosed with delusional paranoia, but obviously there must be something to Peig’s story, because director-screenwriter Aislinn Clarke’s Frewaka premieres today on Shudder.

Shoo’s abusive mother just passed away, but she still hopes to marry her Ukrainian girlfriend Mila, once they have the money. That is two red flags for the Sidhe. Just being around Peig constitutes the third, since the old lady considers herself under a constant state of supernatural siege. She lasted this long thanks to all folk charms protecting her house, which Shoo initially dismisses as mere clutter.

Things get weird quickly. However, a bond starts to grow between Shoo and Peig, as a result. It seems to be them against the fairy and human worlds, because the locals give off serious Wicker Man vibes.

Admittedly, Frewaka is not as straight-up scary as Clarke The Devil’s Doorway, but the unsettling atmosphere of paranoia and ancient corruption definitely gets under viewers’ skin, Even though her prior film was set in a Magdalene convent, Frewaka more vehemently expresses Clarke’s sense of Ireland’s historical inequalities. Yet, the Church is almost entirely absent here. Instead, it is paganism all the way through.

Regardless, Brid Ni Neachtain gives a heck of a performance, conveying irascible Peig’s anxiety stemming from age, infirmary, fairy folk, and profound guilt. It is brave work, considering the unflattering physical aspects. Claire Monnelly is quite the aloof contrast, as Shoo, but that effectively sets up her dramatic revelation that Peig’s delusions maybe aren’t so crazy after all.

Clarke and cinematographer Narayan Van Maele create some striking imagery that often feels inspired by the likes of Wicker Man and Midsommar, in the right kind of way. It is all quietly eerie, dank & dreary, and loaded with bad vibes. Recommended for folk horror fans, Frewaka starts streaming today (4/25) on Shudder.