A gripping Irish thriller featuring stars from Derry Girls and Happy Valley has arrived on Netflix. The horror film, directed by Jon Wright, originally premiered in 2022 and holds a 67% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The cast includes Happy Valley star Hannah John-Kamen, The Sandman actor Douglas Booth, Game of Thrones' Kristian Nairn, and Derry Girls favourite Jamie-Lee O'Donnell. The film's synopsis reads: 'Married couple Maya and Jamie escape their urban nightmare to the tranquility of rural Ireland only to discover malevolent and murderous goblins lurking in the gnarled, ancient wood at the foot of their new garden.'
Unwelcome is an Irish folk horror that has garnered mixed to positive feedback from critics. Set across both London and Ireland, the movie delivers plenty of shocking twists and turns. Numerous horror enthusiasts have flocked to Rotten Tomatoes to voice their opinions, with one branding it 'excellent' while another urged viewers to '100% recommend' the film.
One viewer shared: 'Went in blind after it was suggested that I do so. Was fantastic, actually gripping at points. A weird mix of serious and absolute nonsense carnage. Loved it.' Another agreed: 'This is great! Not your Gremlins or Critters silly creature feature. This one's got some bite. Loved the ending. Really well done!'
Several viewers drew comparisons to David Bowie's 1986 classic Labyrinth, with one posting: 'Took me right back to practical effects classics like Labyrinth, but with much more violence and gore. It's basically the same story, but in Ireland, and with blood. 100% recommend!' Not everyone was won over, however, with one viewer writing: 'Really inconsistent storyline and somewhat ridiculous supernatural elements that are at times unintentionally comical.'
