Fréwaka

For the first time in my life I watched an Irish folk horror, and I’m ready to share my experience!

First of all, it’s great that the film is entirely in the Irish language — it was really interesting to hear people speaking it, because I’d never heard it anywhere before. I always thought it would be somewhat similar to English, but it’s not at all. Live and learn!

The overwhelming majority of the cast are women, including the film’s creators. This is a big plus — we need more female-led films and female protagonists.

I really enjoyed the themes the film touches on: inherited trauma, fears about the future, the consequences of colonisation, religious fanaticism, and more. I already knew about some of these things — like the Magdalene Laundries — from films like Philomena (2013) and Small Things Like These (2024), so it was nice to recognise the references.

If you’re looking for jump-scares, look elsewhere — everything here is built on dark atmosphere and slow-burning tension.

Fréwaka also draws on Irish folklore, which I wasn’t familiar with before watching. Afterwards I got curious and did some research, and discovered there’s actually a partial connection in folklore to Sinners (2025) — which is pretty cool.

The film might not appeal to everyone — if you prefer slashers, jump-scares or straightforward storytelling, it might feel too slow. But if you want horror that’s about human emotions, relationships and the weight of history, this is for you.