SXSW 2021 | The Dinner's in the Details in "The Feast"
8/12 ForReel Score | 3.5/5 Stars
An ultra-modern estate cuts with Spartan precision through the lush Welsh countryside. Family members entranced in their own bizarre domestic rituals go about their day with languorous focus. The massive windows of the imperial domicile invite a voyeuristic eye into it all, yet no one is around to watch. That is until a young woman named Cadi (Annes Elwy) arrives to help serve the eponymous meal of Lee Haven Jones’ The Feast (Gwledd).
Jones arrives with writer Roger Williams from the world of television production and shows like Dr. Who to present a uniquely unsettling world of impending upper class collapse, with elements of fantasy horror and environmental horror thrown into the concoction. The auspiciousness of his debut can be immediately felt in the taut, almost medically precise control of mise-en-scène. The colours of The Feast, for example, are vibrant almost to the point of being alien, the thick grass of the countryside almost looking a putrid lime green. Choices like these add to your sense of unease, while also instilling in you a morbid fascination in the bent and perverse family dynamics that unfold. Simultaneously, each shot is framed with impeccable precision; nearly every shot could be plucked from this film and hung on a wall to spark discussion. The production design should be commended as well; whether the house was built specifically for the film or found, it is utilized to full effect in its chilling, gothic sterility.
While much of the film is a slow build towards its crescendo, there is some wicked tension building done along the way with clever sound design and editing choices, and moments of macabre weirdness punctuate the story throughout. Comparisons to the oppressive one-percenter horror of 2019’s Swallow and the dizzying folk phantasmagoria of Midsommar are unavoidable. Jones and Williams have not claimed a direct influence in the latter, but they do see a spiritual connection. As for the former parallel, The Feast has its queasy anesthesia aesthetics down to a tee, but it has also inherited its flaws, because while there are some devilish ideas at play, Jones and Williams just aren’t able to expand upon them to a satisfying degree. Similarly, the commentary with regards to land rights that is introduced with the dinner guests gets muddled in awkward interjections of exposition. There is also no attempt made at connecting these elements narratively with the character of Cadi beyond some vague suggestions at theme.
Still, there is much to be gleaned from this first-time feature effort from Jones. The director takes some impressive risks with jarring and inventive moments of gore – horror fans should find plenty to sink their teeth into. It is also refreshing and very exciting to see a Welsh film entirely in the Welsh language throw its hat into the ring of audacious, blockbuster-quality horror. Bankside Films picked up The Feast back in 2020 and was reported to have shopped the film around Cannes, so you can expect to see this export tantalizing broader North American audiences soon.