Frewaka
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| Fréwaka | |
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 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Aislinn Clarke |
| Written by | Aislinn Clarke |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Narayan Van Maele |
| Music by | Die Hexen |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | Ireland |
| Languages | Irish Gaelic English |
| Box office | $21,893 |
Fréwaka is a 2024 Irish folk horror film written and directed by Aislinn Clarke, starring Bríd Ní Neachtain, Clare Monnelly, and Aleksandra Bystrzhitskaya.
Premise
A young woman named Siubhán ("Shoo") is a home care worker assigned to look after an elderly woman named Peig. Reluctant to be cared for, Peig shows signs of superstitious behavior as well as a belief that preternatural entities have abducted her in the past.
Cast
- Bríd Ní Neachtain as Peig
- Clare Monnelly as Shoo
- Aleksandra Bystrzhitskaya as Mila
Release
Fréwaka premiered in Switzerland in 2024 at the 77th Locarno Film Festival, and it premiered in the United States at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival.
Reception
The film received generally positive reviews. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 26 critics' reviews are positive. Tara Brady of The Irish Times rated the film 4 stars out of 5, commenting that it "ambitiously mines Irish mythology and history for socially conscious spookery." Guy Lodge of Variety called the film "an expertly conducted atmospheric exercise, with a sharp, harsh understanding of closed rural communities." Zachary Lee of the Chicago Reader praised the film's "disquieting mood" and how it "keeps the audience on edge."
Notes
- ↑ The title Fréwaka comes from a word in the Irish language meaning "roots".
References
- ↑ "Frewaka (2024)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- ↑ "Aislinn Clarke on Irish Folk Horror 'Fréwaka': "There's A Lot of Trauma in Ireland"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 25, 2025. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- 1 2 3 "'Fréwaka' Review: A Rattling Irish Horror Film Satisfyingly Blends Folk Traditions With Genre Tropes". Variety. Archived from the original on December 29, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
- 1 2 "Fréwaka review". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on May 25, 2025. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- 1 2 3 "Review: Fréwaka". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on December 27, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
- ↑ "Fréwaka". Locarno Film Festival. Archived from the original on November 12, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Fréwaka". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 6, 2025. Retrieved September 14, 2025.