The Dreadful
An opening scene featuring chanting in a foreign language as the camera zooms in on a knight's helmet, sitting on the forest floor, while images of war and a crazed and violent man wearing the helmet…
The Dreadful
An opening scene featuring chanting in a foreign language as the camera zooms in on a knight's helmet, sitting on the forest floor, while images of war and a crazed and violent man wearing the helmet flash. Anne lives with her mother in law, Morwen, a pair of late-medieval peasant women, just barely making do while they await the return of Seamus, Anne's husband and Morwen's son, from his conscription in the Wars of the Roses. Anne is sweet and a bit of an innocent introspective, often having vivid dreams and a pure devotion to her faith, while Morwen is an enterprising and crude grifter who will do anything to ensure her own survival, even going so far as to steal the local Lady's gold bracelet while at church. Despite their differences, the pair of women are devoted to each other. Anne takes care of most household chores, from sustenance gardening to cooking, while Morwen takes their goods to town to barter. A scene where Anne goes to relieve herself and returns with a bloody rag indicates that Anne is on her period and therefore not carrying Seamus' child. When Morwen has trouble with her teeth, Anne chews Morwen's stew for her. Neither woman notices a fully-armored knight on a horse, wearing the helmet from the opening scene, in the forests and hills. While walking along the path to church, Anne hears a man happily singing. She follows the voice to the nearby cove beach. It is Jago, a local fisherman who had been conscripted alongside Seamus and been his and Anne's best friend since childhood, and he is newly returned from the war. Jago is invited to a meal to hear the details, and eats in a disgusting and prolonged manner while the women await his story. Jago tells the pair that he and Seamus had deserted, but were beset by thieves on their way home and Seamus was murdered. Morwen doubts some of Jago's story, but this confirms a dream Anne had of Seamus dying. Anne begins seeing glimpses of the knight as she goes about her daily chores. Jago soon shows an interest in Anne, walking her to and from her frequent trips to church, though he never attends himself. Fearful and wary that Jago will steal her now-widowed daughter in law, Morwen cautions Anne that the orphan Jago had always been a jealous and envious boy as a child, always wanting what Seamus had, and warns her that if Anne disobeys Mowen or falls into lust, the Knights of Hell will drag her into the pit and Morwen won't be able to stop them. Anne promises to listen to Morwen. A ship is scuttled in the nearby cove, and the women scavenge what they can from the bodies which wash ashore, Morwen hiding from Anne that she had dispatched the survivors with her knife. Morwen invites a pilgriming priest she met on the road, Friar Penrose, in for a meal. Friar Penrose is not local and is unknown to the women, and he tells them that he is on his return journey to London from the Holy Lands. The Friar is indecorous, eating greedily despite the women saying they are low on food, and forgetting to offer a prayer on the meal until prompted. Still, Anne is delighted by Friar Penrose's beautiful relics from Jerusalem and his blessings, but Morwen believes she recognizes a fellow conman when the Fiar offers to sell them a "feather from a dove of Jerusalem" for three silver. As Friar Penrose blesses Anne to stay in "warm, blind, bliss," away from hideous truths, Morwen slits his throat to take his valuable relics. Horrified and shaken, Anne still helps Morwen hide the body. Morwen later lies to Anne that she heard Friar Penrose was false and under the influence of the demon Mammon (a demon who tempts followers with riches and lusts) so Anne should not be concerned about his killing. Anne sees the knight decapitate a man in a field and runs into Jago as she flees. More delighted at the thought of Anne seeking him out for protection than concerned about her terror, Jago thinks her fears of demons are childish, but comforts her that the person she saw is likely human, not a demonic Knight of Hell, and that Morwen has been purposefully trying to control her with fear-mongering. Jago tells Anne that they both like each other and asks that she meet him that night in a spot they used to frequent as children. (Throughout the film, there are brief scenes of Jago, Anne, and Seamus as a trio of playing children. In these scenes, the orphan Jago is smaller, poorer, and darker than the other two, indicating foreign origins, and obviously favors Anne, seeking her attention. Seamus often bullies Jago, hitting him or accusing him of ruining a game, especially if Jago or Anne interact. Child Anne tries to mitigate the conflicts, taking blame on herself.) After dreaming of Morwen as a demon dressed in red velvet riches and consuming a bloody meal, Anne sneaks out that night to meet Jago and has sex with him. Jago invites Anne to live with him. Anne tells him that Morwen needs and frightens her, and Jago cautions that Morwen will drain everything she can out of Anne, so she should leave and live with him to be happy. After she sneaks back home in the morning, Morwen suspects where Anne has been and guilts the young woman, saying she views Anne as her angel sent by God to care for her now that her son is gone. Morwen grows bolder and uses Anne as a distraction while she murders a lone traveler on the road at night. Anne finds a small horse figurine in the traveler's belongings and sees it as a sign from the demon knight. Morwen increases her possessiveness of Anne, watching her closely when they're in public and church, which Anne attends with fervor. Anne gives the horse figurine to the local Lady's new baby boy, partly out of fear that Morwen tried to steal from the woman again. Jago comes to their house, shouting to see Anne, but Morwen threatens to kill him with a knife and tells Anne again that she'll be dragged to hell be demonic knights if she abandons her duty to Morwen or forgets that she is Seamus' wife and always will be. After some inner struggle and spiritual turmoil where she seeks counsel by praying to the Virgin Mary about how Anne is resentful that she has been left alive and "starving" for things she no longer has, Anne drugs Morwen into sleep and goes to Jago, spending a gleeful day with him on the beach and in the woods. When Morwen wakes, she sees the knight for the first time. She hides from the knight, who touches the cottage door before leaving on his horse. Morwen follows with her blade. The knight leads Morwen to where Anne and Jago are kissing passionately. As the knight kneels, clawing at his helmet in pain, Morwen stabs and kills him for his purse. After their night together, Anne confesses to Jago that she is worried about the demon Mammon, whom the local priest warned about in his last sermon, who tempts people with lust and wealth, since she is deeply envious of the local Lady, who has riches and a healthy, fat baby. Jago tells her such a thing is normal and again entreats her to live with him and be his wife, stating he has always loved her. Anne stands up to Morwen, declaring she will live with Jago, and Morwen screams violent curses at her which send her running to Jago's arms. Anne asks Jago to attend church with her their first Sunday together. Jago is visibly uncomfortable in church and with Anne's devotion, which he is realizing is very deep. Anne stays at church, intensely praying all day until dark, and Jago is uncomfortable with her intensity and then upset when Anne mentions that she has included Seamus in her prayers, since Jago wants her to forget her late husband now that they're together. Anne catches him in a lie about how Seamus died, when he says they were found by the enemy army, who cracked Seamus's head open, contradicting his earlier story that they were set upon by bandit thieves who gutted Seamus. Anne demands the truth and Jago confesses that Seamus became increasingly violent and ambitious in the war, turning into someone he didn't recognize. Seamus would kill soldiers from their own side to steal their belongings. Growing ever greedier, Seamus targeted an armored knight, whom he killed and stole his armor. When Seamus put the knight's helmet on, he began to scream as if being burned, and Jago abandoned Seamus and ran, ultimately deserting without knowing Seamus' fate, but lying to Anne that Seamus died so Jago would have a chance with her. In a flashback, Morwen manages to pull off the knight she killed's helmet to reveal she had just murdered her own son in her greed. Seamus' face is badly disfigured and covered boils and pustules, looking demonic and twisted. Morwen keeps the helmet and puts it on to try and frighten Anne into returning. Anne is disgusted that Jago lied to be with her and stomps out of the church, only to discover the local priest with his throat slashed and the knight standing in the churchyard. Anne runs to Morwen's house, but soon realizes it is Morwen herself in the helmet, who screams that she cannot get it off and that it is burning her. Anne is unable to pry it loose until she strikes it with a cross, splitting the helmet. Morwen's face and arms are disfigured with burns and boils making her appear demonic. Morwen begs Anne's forgiveness for her sins, which Anne does not give. As the women watch, the cursed helmet fixes itself and demonic powers gather. The two women barricade themselves in the cottage as something walks to the front door and knocks. Anne rises to open the door, to find the helmet outside waiting for her. Terrified, Morwen tells her not to touch it because it is cursed, but Anne is unafraid and picks it up, hearing it whisper to her. To Morwen, Anne appears as an angel as Anne explains the helmet has no power over her, before going blind. Jago finds Anne on the beach and lashes out badly when Anne says she does not belong to anyone, not him or Morwen. Anne checks on Morwen, for the woman is now feeble, blind, scarred, and unable to harm anyone anymore, and makes her some sleeping tea, promising to return by nightfall. Anne leaves the cottage, drawn out to the woods, where she unlocks an ornate chest and pulls out the cursed helmet, which she can still hear whispering to her.
The Dreadful
Horror,Thriller
Film Details
An opening scene featuring chanting in a foreign language as the camera zooms in on a knight's helmet, sitting on the forest floor, while images of war and a crazed and violent man wearing the helmet flash. Anne lives with her mother in law, Morwen, a pair of late-medieval peasant women, just barely making do while they await the return of Seamus, Anne's husband and Morwen's son, from his conscription in the Wars of the Roses. Anne is sweet and a bit of an innocent introspective, often having vivid dreams and a pure devotion to her faith, while Morwen is an enterprising and crude grifter who will do anything to ensure her own survival, even going so far as to steal the local Lady's gold bracelet while at church.
Despite their differences, the pair of women are devoted to each other. Anne takes care of most household chores, from sustenance gardening to cooking, while Morwen takes their goods to town to barter. A scene where Anne goes to relieve herself and returns with a bloody rag indicates that Anne is on her period and therefore not carrying Seamus' child.
When Morwen has trouble with her teeth, Anne chews Morwen's stew for her. Neither woman notices a fully-armored knight on a horse, wearing the helmet from the opening scene, in the forests and hills. While walking along the path to church, Anne hears a man happily singing.
She follows the voice to the nearby cove beach. It is Jago, a local fisherman who had been conscripted alongside Seamus and been his and Anne's best friend since childhood, and he is newly returned from the war. Jago is invited to a meal to hear the details, and eats in a disgusting and prolonged manner while the women await his story.
Jago tells the pair that he and Seamus had deserted, but were beset by thieves on their way home and Seamus was murdered. Morwen doubts some of Jago's story, but this confirms a dream Anne had of Seamus dying. Anne begins seeing glimpses of the knight as she goes about her daily chores.
Jago soon shows an interest in Anne, walking her to and from her frequent trips to church, though he never attends himself. Fearful and wary that Jago will steal her now-widowed daughter in law, Morwen cautions Anne that the orphan Jago had always been a jealous and envious boy as a child, always wanting what Seamus had, and warns her that if Anne disobeys Mowen or falls into lust, the Knights of Hell will drag her into the pit and Morwen won't be able to stop them. Anne promises to listen to Morwen.
A ship is scuttled in the nearby cove, and the women scavenge what they can from the bodies which wash ashore, Morwen hiding from Anne that she had dispatched the survivors with her knife. Morwen invites a pilgriming priest she met on the road, Friar Penrose, in for a meal. Friar Penrose is not local and is unknown to the women, and he tells them that he is on his return journey to London from the Holy Lands.
The Friar is indecorous, eating greedily despite the women saying they are low on food, and forgetting to offer a prayer on the meal until prompted. Still, Anne is delighted by Friar Penrose's beautiful relics from Jerusalem and his blessings, but Morwen believes she recognizes a fellow conman when the Fiar offers to sell them a "feather from a dove of Jerusalem" for three silver. As Friar Penrose blesses Anne to stay in "warm, blind, bliss," away from hideous truths, Morwen slits his throat to take his valuable relics.
Horrified and shaken, Anne still helps Morwen hide the body. Morwen later lies to Anne that she heard Friar Penrose was false and under the influence of the demon Mammon (a demon who tempts followers with riches and lusts) so Anne should not be concerned about his killing. Anne sees the knight decapitate a man in a field and runs into Jago as she flees.
More delighted at the thought of Anne seeking him out for protection than concerned about her terror, Jago thinks her fears of demons are childish, but comforts her that the person she saw is likely human, not a demonic Knight of Hell, and that Morwen has been purposefully trying to control her with fear-mongering. Jago tells Anne that they both like each other and asks that she meet him that night in a spot they used to frequent as children. (Throughout the film, there are brief scenes of Jago, Anne, and Seamus as a trio of playing children.
In these scenes, the orphan Jago is smaller, poorer, and darker than the other two, indicating foreign origins, and obviously favors Anne, seeking her attention. Seamus often bullies Jago, hitting him or accusing him of ruining a game, especially if Jago or Anne interact. Child Anne tries to mitigate the conflicts, taking blame on herself.) After dreaming of Morwen as a demon dressed in red velvet riches and consuming a bloody meal, Anne sneaks out that night to meet Jago and has sex with him.
Jago invites Anne to live with him. Anne tells him that Morwen needs and frightens her, and Jago cautions that Morwen will drain everything she can out of Anne, so she should leave and live with him to be happy. After she sneaks back home in the morning, Morwen suspects where Anne has been and guilts the young woman, saying she views Anne as her angel sent by God to care for her now that her son is gone.
Morwen grows bolder and uses Anne as a distraction while she murders a lone traveler on the road at night. Anne finds a small horse figurine in the traveler's belongings and sees it as a sign from the demon knight. Morwen increases her possessiveness of Anne, watching her closely when they're in public and church, which Anne attends with fervor.
Anne gives the horse figurine to the local Lady's new baby boy, partly out of fear that Morwen tried to steal from the woman again. Jago comes to their house, shouting to see Anne, but Morwen threatens to kill him with a knife and tells Anne again that she'll be dragged to hell be demonic knights if she abandons her duty to Morwen or forgets that she is Seamus' wife and always will be. After some inner struggle and spiritual turmoil where she seeks counsel by praying to the Virgin Mary about how Anne is resentful that she has been left alive and "starving" for things she no longer has, Anne drugs Morwen into sleep and goes to Jago, spending a gleeful day with him on the beach and in the woods.
When Morwen wakes, she sees the knight for the first time. She hides from the knight, who touches the cottage door before leaving on his horse. Morwen follows with her blade.
The knight leads Morwen to where Anne and Jago are kissing passionately. As the knight kneels, clawing at his helmet in pain, Morwen stabs and kills him for his purse. After their night together, Anne confesses to Jago that she is worried about the demon Mammon, whom the local priest warned about in his last sermon, who tempts people with lust and wealth, since she is deeply envious of the local Lady, who has riches and a healthy, fat baby.
Jago tells her such a thing is normal and again entreats her to live with him and be his wife, stating he has always loved her. Anne stands up to Morwen, declaring she will live with Jago, and Morwen screams violent curses at her which send her running to Jago's arms. Anne asks Jago to attend church with her their first Sunday together.
Jago is visibly uncomfortable in church and with Anne's devotion, which he is realizing is very deep. Anne stays at church, intensely praying all day until dark, and Jago is uncomfortable with her intensity and then upset when Anne mentions that she has included Seamus in her prayers, since Jago wants her to forget her late husband now that they're together. Anne catches him in a lie about how Seamus died, when he says they were found by the enemy army, who cracked Seamus's head open, contradicting his earlier story that they were set upon by bandit thieves who gutted Seamus.
Anne demands the truth and Jago confesses that Seamus became increasingly violent and ambitious in the war, turning into someone he didn't recognize. Seamus would kill soldiers from their own side to steal their belongings. Growing ever greedier, Seamus targeted an armored knight, whom he killed and stole his armor.
When Seamus put the knight's helmet on, he began to scream as if being burned, and Jago abandoned Seamus and ran, ultimately deserting without knowing Seamus' fate, but lying to Anne that Seamus died so Jago would have a chance with her. In a flashback, Morwen manages to pull off the knight she killed's helmet to reveal she had just murdered her own son in her greed. Seamus' face is badly disfigured and covered boils and pustules, looking demonic and twisted.
Morwen keeps the helmet and puts it on to try and frighten Anne into returning. Anne is disgusted that Jago lied to be with her and stomps out of the church, only to discover the local priest with his throat slashed and the knight standing in the churchyard. Anne runs to Morwen's house, but soon realizes it is Morwen herself in the helmet, who screams that she cannot get it off and that it is burning her.
Anne is unable to pry it loose until she strikes it with a cross, splitting the helmet. Morwen's face and arms are disfigured with burns and boils making her appear demonic. Morwen begs Anne's forgiveness for her sins, which Anne does not give.
As the women watch, the cursed helmet fixes itself and demonic powers gather. The two women barricade themselves in the cottage as something walks to the front door and knocks. Anne rises to open the door, to find the helmet outside waiting for her.
Terrified, Morwen tells her not to touch it because it is cursed, but Anne is unafraid and picks it up, hearing it whisper to her. To Morwen, Anne appears as an angel as Anne explains the helmet has no power over her, before going blind. Jago finds Anne on the beach and lashes out badly when Anne says she does not belong to anyone, not him or Morwen.
Anne checks on Morwen, for the woman is now feeble, blind, scarred, and unable to harm anyone anymore, and makes her some sleeping tea, promising to return by nightfall. Anne leaves the cottage, drawn out to the woods, where she unlocks an ornate chest and pulls out the cursed helmet, which she can still hear whispering to her..