Dogged is a 2017 British folk horror film directed by Richard Rowntree (Nefarious) from a screenplay co-written with Matthew Davies, based on a story by Christina Rowntree. The Ash Mountain Films production stars Sam Saunders, Toby Wynn-Davies and Jo Southwell.
The film is a feature version of Rowntree’s 2015 short of the same name and production funds were raised via a successful Kickstarter campaign.
Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk
Director Richard Rowntree has described the film thus: “It’s a cross between Little Red Riding Hood, The Hills Have Eyes and The Wicker Man.”
Sam (Sam Saunders) is a university student returning to his tidal island home for the funeral of a ten year-old local girl, whose body was found beneath a cliff.
Unfortunately, Sam soon discovers that the seedy underbelly of the small island community harbours more than just a few secrets…
Reviews:
“The key to the success of Dogged is developing and maintaining a sense of prison-like menace, of being cut off from the rest of the world, hemmed in by a community that is sinister rather than soothing […] Rowntree has done an incredibly impressive job achieving this, and creating an interesting and jolting full-length horror feature on such a miniscule budget.” Sarah, Caution Spoilers
” …the script stayed on point with character driven acting that was solid throughout. The film’s musical score really helped heightened the overall tone and added additional layers of suspense that are far too often missing from indie horror films. There are twist and turns all around in Dogged with a ending that will leave you discussing it long after the credits have rolled.” Anything Horror
“This story works and kept me completely captivated. The cinematography was amazing. Even the flashbacks fit perfectly in the film’s narrative, helping to break down the town’s façade. The creepy animal masks were a good choice and definitely helped play up the cult theme.” Dani McKinney, Pop Horror
“There are some genuinely creepy scenes within Dogged as main characters explore the eerie local scenery. The overall story is well-played and the effect of the animal-head masks used by the local cultists is wholly disconcerting. The use of colour cleverly conveys an intensity of emotion and the story has some vicious twists and turns.” Ashley, Lister, UK Horror Scene
“Dogged does deliver on good performances and special effects, however it’s not perfect. Like many other low-budget horror films, the movie does suffer from amateur looking shots and audio problems throughout the movie, however, this is easily overlooked by the solid script the film has that singlehandedly carries the entire film.” Luke David, Bloody Flicks
“While the idea of the film is a good one, it comes across as far too long for its own good and by the midway point of the film it starts plodding along to its finale. The best character in the whole film is undoubtedly Father David J Jones played with tenacity by Toby Wynn-Davies. His portrayal of a man in power would make even Lord Summerisle bow in defeat.” Peter Hopkins, Horrorscreams Videovault
Main cast:
- Sam Saunders
- Toby Wynn-Davies
- Jo Southwell
- Philip Ridout
- Aiysha Jebali
- Debra Leigh-Taylor
- Tony Manders – The Young Cannibals; The House on Elm Lake; 12 Deaths of Christmas; Fox Trap
- Philip Ridout
- Rosemary Smith
- Abigail Halley
- Ashton Bell
- Nadia Lamin
- Lea Paris-Cambridge
- Gregory A. Smith
- Matt Streuli
- Tony Parkin
- Charlotte Bourne
Filming locations:
Potash Barn and Osea Island, Essex, England, UK
Wingroves Farm, Iver, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
Release:
Dogged was released on DVD in the UK by Left Films on 9 July 2018.
