Hold on to your seats, Game of Thrones fans! What if I told you that Sophie Turner and Kit Harington are back together on screen, but in a setting that's darker and more twisted than anything they faced in Westeros? That's right, the duo is reuniting in "The Dreadful," a medieval gothic horror flick that promises chills, thrills, and maybe even a few spills.
Today has been a banner day for Sophie Turner enthusiasts. While the internet is still buzzing from the first images of her as Lara Croft in Amazon's upcoming "Tomb Raider" series on Prime Video, another exciting reveal has dropped: the trailer for "The Dreadful," marking Turner's reunion with her former on-screen brother, Kit Harington. This film, directed and written by Natasha Kermani, delves into the realm of medieval Gothic horror, drawing inspiration from the classic J-Horror film "Onibaba." And let me tell you, their roles in this movie are starkly different from their time in Game of Thrones. You really need to see the trailer to believe it!
"The Dreadful" emerges as a prominent addition to the recent surge in rural British horror films, joining the ranks of movies like "Starve Acre," "Men," and "The Feast." Turner plays Anne, whose already complicated relationship with her overbearing mother-in-law (played by Marcia Gay Harden) intensifies when her husband doesn't return from war. Adding fuel to the fire, she finds herself drawn to Jago (Harington), a friend who returns in her husband’s place. We are talking forbidden love, right? Throw in whispers of an ominous curse, a shocking throat-slitting, and Turner and Harington engaging in some seriously flirty and secretive behavior while sporting what sounds like Cornish accents (though that remains to be confirmed), and you've got a recipe for a whole lot of eerie occurrences that demand a closer look.
Here's the official synopsis to give you a better idea:
"Set in medieval England, Anne and her domineering mother-in-law Morwen struggle to survive on the outskirts of society. But when a man from Anne’s past returns from war, a curse begins to take shape through a mysterious knight and threatens to destroy them all."
If you're familiar with "Onibaba," you might already have a good sense of what's potentially unfolding in "The Dreadful." The themes of jealousy, survival, and the dark side of human nature are all present. But here's where it gets controversial... some might argue that "The Dreadful" is simply borrowing too heavily from its source material. Is it homage, or is it imitation? And this is the part most people miss...the film's success hinges on its ability to modernize the core themes of "Onibaba" and offer a fresh perspective. If you haven't seen Onibaba, then I suggest you do so, it's a Japanese horror masterpiece. Either way, we'll find out whether "The Dreadful" lives up to its name – in a good or bad way – when it's released for streaming and in limited theaters on February 20th.
So, what do you think? Does this trailer pique your interest? Are you excited to see Kit Harington and Sophie Turner on screen together again in such a different context? And, most importantly, do you think "The Dreadful" will be a worthy addition to the gothic horror genre, or will it fall flat? Sound off in the comments below! I'm genuinely curious to hear your thoughts and predictions.
