Program Note
On a country road in 17th-century rural England, four men: landowner Marlow, servant Pike, carpenter Holt, and farmer Ransley, carry a coffin towards the churchyard for the funeral of Marlowe’s deceased son. However, the path to the church is rumored to be fraught with sinister events after dark, so Marlow promises a reward to anyone who accompanies him. As the men’s conversation progresses, it evolves from debates to violent exchanges, and in the process, Marlow discovers that some among them did terrible things to his son. Against the backdrop of the English countryside, captured in black and white, the men’s interactions, filled with incessant chatter and mutual attacks, transform into dark and dreadful moments as night falls. This film, with its exquisite use of British humor and plot twists, meticulously revives the traditions of folk horror, fully capturing the viewer’s attention. (Jin PARK)