Irish Folk Horror film, All You Need Is Death, is the latest project from writer-director Paul Duane (The Secret Diary of a Call Girl; Amber). The film premiered at Beyond Fest as well as the Cork International Film Festival in Ireland.
The film’s, “…cosmic horror vibe of creepiness,” as Duane describes stems from its deep Folk Horror roots. While on their hunt for old, unheard ballads along the countryside, couple Anna (Simone Collins) and Aleks (Charlie Maher) discover a song much older and significant than anything they had accounted for. This song is in a language that precedes Irish, in fact. This is a fascinating line of work, the couple’s eager pursuit and scavenging of unheard ballads, and the duo appears quite skilled at what they do.
The core of this couple’s misfortune stems from a sentiment echoed earlier in the film when Anna sings one of these unearthed songs back to herself. Aleks tells her that she sings it well, to which Anna responds, “I wish I knew what it meant.”
Olwen Fouréré plays the role of Rita, an enthralling presence on-screen. Rita is the bearer of songs passed down through the generations. It comes with a price, however, being the one to hold songs from, “…when memory was the way we had to hold things.” There is a deep sense of foreboding engrained in uttering ancient things we do not know the meaning of…and Rita’s eyes gleam with this mischievous, oft-unrepeatable knowledge.
All You Need Is Death follows in the footsteps of the genre’s tradition of remembering the force that is nature, in all of its forms. The land as well as the myriad forces which inhabit it, remember all that has occurred upon its surface. It is also a facet of the ever-devouring Unspoken that Agnes (Catherine Siggins) speaks of when she laments about love as it relates to the act of consumption.
Much like love and the unspoken, nature– as it is evoked within humans and otherwise– is also a timeless, burrowing force. The old world is indifferent to the fleetingness of humanity, and certain things were simply not meant to be remembered…let alone repeated.
We must also acknowledge the power of some of the dialogue in this film. It is not to be overlooked. There is so much poetry imbued in the dialogue of this film. Even the manner in which the songs of this old world are referred to evokes the aura of the very ballads these characters happen to be in search of. There is an underlying rhythm to it all, as well as a hint of a threat, and it is this sense of emotional tone and cadence that structures the narrative of the film.
As Agnes says, “The future is picked clean. Treasure lies in the past. We find beauty where others have overlooked it, among the speechless, and the miserable of the earth. And we turn it into a future for ourselves. It’s a miracle. Modern alchemy.”
Credit: XYZ Films
I cannot say that I fully believed in the chemistry between couple Anna and Aleks–it is mainly that secret microphone waltz that lingers in my mind– though I did find myself shuddering in the face of how it all panned out in the end. There is no grief quite like the fruit of betrayal, and “love is a knife with a blade for a handle”, as they say. There is a reason for this saying’s being the unofficial title of the ancient song. After all, we have all been there, to some extent.
Paul Duane mentions a few influences in a conversation about All You Need Is Death. “…I used to play in a fairy fort when I was a kid you know? That world is imbued in me, the songs, the spookiness, the weirdness of Irish ballads when you really listen to them, that’s something I grew up with, and it’s often forgotten now…” The sequence in Rita’s house towards the beginning of the feature was remarkably indicative of this quality Duane mentions, concerning imbued weirdness and shockingly rooted intricacies. The house itself adorned in vines and filled with puppets and chimes is a vision, but it is very little compared to the vision offered to us of Rita, herself. If there is anyone you’d hope was the guardian of ancient unknown songs hiding out in a wardrobe, it’s her. She is the rocker-crone of my dreams.
As it goes in all folk tales, lessons can only be learned the hard way. Suffering is required. The community that makes up this picture is no exception to the rule, horribly interwoven as they are.
Credit: XYZ FilmsI do have my doubts about the technical aspects of this film. Mostly the SFX ghostly smudge apparitions, the strangely bright lighting throughout, and some odd transitions toward the conclusion of the film. This being said, the solid bones of this story are what kept me engaged. This is a folk horror movie about people collecting obscure Irish ballads– what more could I ask for?! Well, in this vein of thinking, I would request moodier lighting to match or accent the haunting set-ups of the latter sequences that this film has to offer, in addition to shorter takes of our leading couple being overtly smitten with one another. They said it all in their glances and quippy banter with one another on the road, anyhow.
All You Need Is Death is a film that I wanted to succeed–and it does accomplish a great deal, in its overall use of atmosphere and set design. This being said, I did yearn for more of that commanding presence offered by Rita, and even Agnes’ characters. These are women with a true edge to them, and they bring depth as well as history and intention to the dark world of this story…without even needing to say a word.
This film is a champion of the eternal line of remembering. Remembering, as an act as well as a tradition. A line, not to be broken. Despite our not necessarily comprehending what it is that we are meant to remember.
All You Need Is Death will be opening in select US cinemas and on VOD from XYZ Films, on April 11th.
