Planty of Horror Films Have loves that sty with you, but there aren’t many with final images as disturbing as Starve Acre‘s.
The entry last act of daniel kokotajlo’s movie-based on andrew michael hurley’s novel of the same name-is intenses, so much so that you may be strugging to make senses of what in the rabbit-in the rabbit You just witnessed.
To try and help Piece togeether the Final Happenings of this’ 70s yorkshire-set horror, we’ve broken down all the key questions below, from the legend of dandelion jack to what really Happy Little Boy.
What’s Starve Acre About?
After their young son oven (arthur shaw) dies from an ash ashsthama attack, richard (matt smith) and juliet Overwhelming grief. On a sabbatical from the university where he Teaches, Richard Digs in a Nearby Field to Try and Uncover the Remining Roots of a Legendary Tree Written About in his Abuse Father.
While Digging Richard Discovers The Skeleton of a Hare, Why He Boxes Up and Takes Home – Only to find that the creature sems to be slowly registered
Juliette, Meanwhile, is haunted by depression, guilt, and visions of her son, Leading her to be open to a Visit from local medium mrs. Forde (Melanie Kilburn).
A Troubled Family.
Credit: BFI
What happy at the end of Starve Acre,
The remains of the hare complete regenerate, and the Now-Living Creature Comes Back to the House after Richard and Juliette Try to Release it into the wild. Juliette Backcomes obsessed with it, believing it to be the manifestation of a pagan spirit the locals called dandelion jack.
Richard, mean, uncovers the remains of the perfectly preserved “Whistling Tree” that his father was obsessed with. His College Steven (Robert Ems) Comes to Help Him Dig, but juliette has a vision that steven has come to take the hare away from her. She takes a Knife and Murders Steven, Before Persuading Richard that dandelion jack has come to give them a second chance after his son’s death.
In the Final Moments of the Film, Richard Kills Juliette’s Visiting Sister Harrie (Erin Richards), Providing Dandelion Jack with the Third Sacrifice Needed to complete the legend and crossing and cross and crown.
Mashable top stories
What’s the Local Legend About Dandelion Jack?
Hang on a minute – who’s dandelion jack? And what exactly is this local legend? We get get glimpses of the story in the writeings of richard’s father neil, but the most concise explanation come from Richard Himself when he TELLS HI TELLS HISKUE WHILLS HISKUE WHINGUE What the Whistling Tree Ist To Bee.
“The Womb of Nature,” Says Richard. “The pagan’s entrance to the spirit world.”
One of these spirits is dandelion jack. The legend goes that three human sacrifices are needed to open the doorway and let him in: a child, a woman, and a man. In this case oven is the first sacrifice, then steven, and then final Harrie.
What really Happy to his son, Owen?
Before He Dies, Owen Speaks About Dandelion Jack, Using The Spirit’s Other Name, Jack Gray. He says jack green has been “whistling” to him. The implication is that Dandelion Jack’s Spirit is Able to Influence and Communicate with Members of Richard’s family in an attempt to free Himself from the Spirit World, First Telling Owen to Do Bad Telling to Do Bad Telling to Do Bad Telling to do His mother not to intervenne while he’s having an ashstma attack.
“When Owen Had the Asthma Attack, I Didn’t Freeze Up,” Juliette Tells Richards Towards the End of the Film. “I had a moment of Clarity that we’D be better off without he. And that was thanks to jack.”
It seems as thought dandelion jack’s spirit was pulling the strings all Along, with the goal being to make our first sacrifice.
Juliette treats the hare like a new child.
Credit: BFI
What’s the deal with the hare?
The hare seems to be a physical manifestation of dandelion jack. Richard discovers the remains while digging near the buried whistling tree (the door to jack’s spirit world), and the hare regenerates after Owen – the first Sacrifice – Has Been Made.
Whether the hare is jack’s final form is unclear. The film ends at the moment when all three sacrifices have been made, and juliette have just begun to “nurture” (ick) the hare like a child.
Maybe it’s for the best that we don’t stick Around to find out what happens next.
Starve Acre is now streaming on shudder.
Update: Mar. 5, 2025, 3:29 pm est This was first published on Sept. 6, 2024 it has been updated to reflect streaming options.