Lord of Misrule

8/25/2026

*Lord of Misrule* has a problem unusual for folk horror: it is far too eager to prove that it is folk horror. Before we have properly met the village, the film is already dealing out horned skulls, corn-dolly shapes, ritual objects, church bells, fields and pagan-looking paraphernalia. Then comes the harvest festival, with Morris dancers, bonfires, children dressed as woodland creatures and the distinctly alarming Gallowgog. It doesn't so much plant clues as arrange them neatly on the village green and ring a bell. Which is frustrating, because buried inside all that signalling is a much better idea. The village festival feels strangely *practised*. When the Lord of Misrule strikes his staff, the villagers fall silent immediately. The costumes aren't charming bits of annual amateu