A Field in England
During the Civil War in 17th-Century England, a small group of deserters flee from a raging battle through an overgrown field. They are captured by an alchemist, who forces the group to aid him in his search to find a hidden treasure that he believes is buried in the field. Crossing a vast mushroom circle, which provides their first meal, the group quickly descend into a chaos of arguments, fighting and paranoia, and, as it becomes clear that the treasure might be something other than gold, they slowly become victim to the terrifying energies trapped inside the field.
A Field in England conjures a hallucinatory blend of historical horror and psychedelic folk nightmare, where the English Civil War becomes a backdrop for madness and occult dread.
- Directed by Ben Wheatley, it’s a masterclass in unsettling atmosphere and visual experimentation that recalls early Ken Russell and 70s British psych cinema.
- The film’s grainy black-and-white palette and disjointed editing amplify its dreamlike, paranoid mood—perfect for fans of folk horror and boundary-pushing arthouse horror.
- Reece Shearsmith leads a cast that spirals into chaos, capturing the desperation and unraveling sanity of men trapped by war and something far older.
- Its use of practical effects and natural settings grounds the surrealism, making the creeping menace feel uncomfortably real in a way pure CGI rarely achieves.
