“Unwelcome” got my attention due to the film’s co-writer and director, Jon Wright.
Back in 2012, I caught Wright’s sophomore features, Grabbers, and immediately it became a mainstay in my creature feature cannon. The movie follows an Irish town invaded by monsters, who’s one weakness is alcohol. So, naturally, the townsfolk defend themselves by getting shitface drunk. It’s a fun and funny monster movie that’ll liven up any movie marathon and frankly deserves more recognition. When I saw that Wright had another monster movie coming out, Unwelcome, I was hoping it’d capture a same fun, creature feature vibe. Plus the folk horror element seemed like an interesting angle. While Unwelcome was more ambitious with the themes Wright wanted to explore, the result came out more of a mixed bag.
The film follows young couple Maya (Hannah John-Kamen) and Jamie (Douglas Booth). After Maya finds out that she’s pregnant, the two are attacked during a home invasion. Frightened and wanting to live somewhere quieter, the two move to a cottage in a small village. However, their neighbor tells them that every day, the two need to leave an offering in their garden for tiny creatures that live in an ancient forest. The story is an interesting one and Wright seems dedicated to examining trauma and how It can relate to toxic masculinity. Wright’s examination on Jamie’s masculine insecurity is the film’s strongest feature. He contextualizes Jamie’s insecurity in both his trauma and his lack of working on his trauma, making issues less superficial and thus more compelling. The movie informs how his trauma contributes to his insecurity without excusing his helplessness, as his flaws stem heavily from his lack of seeking help. Booth is a bit over-the-top at times, but he sells his helplessness, and Kamen is incredibly strong as she takes charge defending her home.
For as strong and timely Wright’s themes are that he once to explore, the film’s biggest issue is a weird one, the lack of creatures. For a majority of the film, the creatures do not show up, at all. I’d understand if Wright wanted to build up their appearance, but there’s a huge chunk of the movie where their creatures are completely forgotten about. Despite the luscious cinematography with the beautiful Irish countryside and forests, Wright rarely uses the atmosphere build up the creatures. Most of the film is dedicated to sadistic contractors (lead by Colm Meaney), who harass Maya and Jamie at their home. The film is basically Straw Dogs meets Ghoulies, but fighting each other for attention. The creatures don’t really take focus until the end of the movie, which is a wild and exciting bloodbath with some solid kills. However, the uneven narrative leads to serious tonal problems, as everything with the creatures is pulpy and fun, but the contractors and even the opening physical assault is harsh and deeply uncomfortable.
Unwelcome is worth recognizing as a daring film from Jon Wright, but it still feels like an uneven, missed opportunity. Maybe there were budget issues that prevented him from doing more with the creatures, but the tonal shifts and darker moments clashes with the film’s marketing. Folk horror fans may appreciate the atmosphere and cinematography, and the ending is a fun spectacle of carnage . For me, Unwelcome needed a few more rewrites to even-out its tone and deliver something either more fun or consistently intense.
Unwelcome is now playing in theaters and will be available digitally on March 14th
