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‘The Dreadful’ Opens to Lukewarm Reviews That Laud Mood but Lament Few Scares

Marcia Gay Harden draws the strongest notices as critics fault thin writing, muted chemistry.

Overview

  • Writer-director Natasha Kermani’s supernatural period horror reimagines themes from Onibaba in fifteenth‑century England with Sophie Turner, Kit Harington and Marcia Gay Harden.
  • Early reviews from The Hollywood Reporter, RogerEbert.com and But Why Tho? praise the film’s fog‑soaked atmosphere, Cornwall locations and Julia Swain’s eerie cinematography.
  • Critics say the film delivers limited thrills due to slow pacing, heavy exposition and modern horror tropes that blunt tension.
  • Turner and Harington’s romantic pairing is widely labeled unconvincing, whereas Harden’s commanding performance as Morwen is singled out as the standout.
  • Lionsgate releases the R‑rated, 94‑minute feature in theaters, with one outlet also reporting current VOD availability.