After young couple Jamie (Douglas Booth) and pregnant Maya (Hannah John-Kamen) are attacked by thugs in their flat, they jump on the opportunity to move to a seemingly idyllic new home in rural Ireland, inherited from Jamie’s great-aunt after her death. The house requires some work, prompting them to hire the local Whelan family as builders. They are told that they should leave an offering of liver at a door at the back garden of the house every night for the Red Caps that live in the forest, but write that off as mere superstition.
This starts off very strongly. The flat break-in is terrifying and it is easy to understand why the couple are keen to get away from the city. The increasingly invasive and then threatening behaviour of the builders increases the tension in a believable way. Colm Meaney who plays the Whelan patriarch and who sinisterly insists that Jamie and Maya call him ‘Daddy’ is a very scary presence.
As with so many monster movies, the appearance of the creatures, in this case Leprechaun-like beings, lessens the suspense. They come across as more comical than scary. Having said that, when they attack the Whelans, the conflict is pretty well staged by director Jon Wright. However, the last five minutes are utterly ridiculous!
Rating: 6.5 out of 10