Paranormal Farm

Paranormal Farm is a British movie released in 2017 that has been lauded for its unique found-footage style of filmmaking, a genre that's been popular since films like Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project introduced it in the early 2000s. The film is directed by amateur filmmaker Carl Medland who also stars in the movie and centers around the theme of paranormal activities and haunted incidents that take place at an average UK farm. The cast members are relative newcomers namely Lucy French and Darren Earl Williams who lend authenticity and credibility to their roles with their outstanding performances.

The film demonstrates one of the most grounded elements of suspense and fear through the found footage style adopted by director Carl Medland. The tension grows throughout the story, as tiny details intensify the chilling atmosphere and make the narrative almost unbearably intense.

As the movie unfolds, the viewer is introduced to the primary characters of the story, Carl and his camera woman Rachel (played by Lucy French). Carl and Rachel find themselves welcomed to a forsaken farm by an older couple (played by Robert Gray and Caroline Spence), who are struggling with a variety of unexplained and possibly paranormal events terrorizing their property. Home to wild tales and eerie legends of ghost sightings and unexplained phenomena, the couple are desperate for help. A notable tension on the farm is immediately accessible from the moment Carl and Rachel arrive, heightening anticipation for the eerie experiences that are to come.

However, the movie takes an interesting route, as this is not about investigators exploring the unexplained armed with a slew of technology. It is about the terror typically concealed behind locked doors and tucked under beds, the kind that inhabits everyday life. Framed as a docuseries, Paranormal Farm is instead an investigation into the obscure and the inexplicable. By maintaining an emphasis on realism with ambient sound design and practical effects rather than grandiose and theatrical components, Medland cleverly fosters a sense of creeping horror.

What truly sets the Paranormal Farm apart from a deluge of other found-footage horror films is its tonal amount of humor that runs parallel with the horror and suspense. Sitting between the lines of comedy and horror, there are several light moments that bring a welcome relief from the eerie tension that permeates the story.

Though Paranormal Farm uses classic horror elements such as night vision, silence, and unsteady camera footage to build its tantalizingly tense atmosphere, it does so with a distinct sense of style and an artistic hand. Transcending traditional horror movie standards, Carl Medland presents a film that is as cinematically impressive as it is truly horrifying.

Notably, the lack of background music or score puts the audience in a state of constant anticipation for the horrifying climax.

The performances in the movie are sober and believable. Lucy French gives a captivating performance as the trusting camera woman trying to reconcile reality with the strange occurrences on the farm. Meanwhile, Darren Earl Williams is perfectly cast as the counterpart to Lucy, bringing an unsettling edge to his character which helps sustain the eerie ambiance of the movie. Carl Medland's gripping acting skills, along with his creative direciton, ensure that the viewers are spellbound till the very end. His multiple roles behind and in front of the camera have many critics considering him a jack of all trades in the world of independent filmmaking.

Paranormal Farm reflects Carl Medland's innovation in storytelling, dissecting the layers of psychological fear built within the story. It is a movie that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, as they are drawn into a story that expertly combines the drama of human relationships with the terror of the supernatural.