The Irish have really been making their mark within the horror industry in recent years.
If you have yet to hear of the new noteworthy horror film, The Mummy, we recommend a cinema date be planned. Not only has this film been produced with so much Irish talent, but it is also receiving spectacular reviews.
Irish filmmaker, Lee Cronin has created some standout horror cinema over the years, from The Hole in the Ground to Evil Dead Rise; his creativity is astounding.
His latest film, The Mummy, which can be described as a dark, atmospheric horror, has moved away from the original action-adventure style of the 1999 Brendan Fraser version.
The film also features Irish actor Jack Reynor, who starred in Midsommar alongside Florence Pugh, which became notorious for reshaping the horror genre and inspiring films to come to branch further than the classic horror tropes.
In a Variety interview during promotion for The Mummy, Lee Cronin also revealed that an Irish horror show called Spiral is in the works. Sharing that he is focusing on a new Ireland- set folk horror series and how the TV show will be set in the 1980’s and will be ‘’dripping in folklore, repression and the strangeness of the Irish countryside’’.
We have seen a huge increase in Irish incorporation on the big screens lately, especially in Sinners. A recent horror movie which has gained worldwide recognition and received plenty of deserving awards.
The film featured Irish vampire Remmick, played by Jack O’Connell, to explore the themes of colonialism and historical parallels between Irish and Black experiences. The movie also included Irish music, including The Rocky Road to Dublin, which represents both resistance and the trauma of migration the Irish have had to deal with.
And the Irish representation isn’t stopping as it’s now becoming a significant force within the horror genre, with a new wave of filmmakers who blend ancient folklore with modern psychological themes.
A groundbreaking shift towards Irish language horror is supported through An Taibhse (The Ghost). The first Irish-language horror film, set in post-famine Ireland, was written and directed by John Farrelly.
We also have Frewaka, directed by Aislinn Clarke, another film that centres on sinister folkloric entities. And there are plenty more Irish horror movies awaiting release, including Bloodrite, Feed, Visitation and Hokum.
Words by Nia Hayden