England is famous for its moors. These deceivingly appear to be barren spots, eons old, where small plants and moss have grown, forming treacherous bogs. In olden days, human sacrifices were made there, and the bodies of criminals and enemies were tossed in, only to sink below the murky surface and be preserved to this day. In Scotland, the peat bogs are the source of fuel for the making of distinctive Scotch whisky. And Arthur Conan-Doyle’s immortal Sherlock Holmes made his second appearance in “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” which features the desolate moors.
Now we have the film “The Moor.” This somber, sometimes frightening, mystery takes place 25 years after the disappearance of children from a Yorkshire village. One of those children, Danny (Dexter Sol Ansell), disappeared during a shoplifting prank being carried out with his older friend, Claire (Sophia La Porta). A man was eventually arrested and convicted, but the bodies of Danny and other abducted children were presumably hidden in the vast, nearby moor.
Grown-up Clair, a podcaster, has returned home after these 25 years, since the killer is to be released from prison. She discovers that Bill (David Edward-Robinson), the father of Danny, has been searching the moor all these years, hoping to find his son’s body and put to rest his anguish. Claire, suffering her own guilt, is enlisted to help him find Danny and the other victims.
This is the basic setup of the film by novice feature director Chris Cronin (“Oscar’s Bell”) and writer Paul Thomas (“Sophie’s Fortune”). They have taken an interesting approach. Part of the film is in the form of interviews, such as Claire would undertake in preparation for another podcast. Another part is the interaction between Bill and Claire, each with their own internal demons. A third is the metaphysical, represented by body dowser Alex (Mark Peachey – “Cyberlante”), and his séance-performing daughter, Eleanor (Elizabeth Dormer-Phillips – “Off the Rails”).
But the main and most engaging portion takes place on the moor itself, alternately windswept, wrapped in rain and mist, watery pits awaiting any unwary step, creating mysterious images never quite visible to the anguished participants. Is what they see real, or just a swirl in the darkening mist?
This is in essence a ghost story, with the moor taking the place of the haunted house. As with any competent ghost story, the tale builds step by step toward it’s inevitable, disastrous, and terrifying conclusion. Some will find these steps confusing, or too slow going, and I cannot disagree.
The cinematography by Sam Cronin is excellent, creating the claustrophobic nature of being lost in the fog, even in a vast expanse. The editing by Pawel Pracz leaves something to be desired in the last section of the film – a little clarity would “sell” the story better. And the electronic music from Nir Perlman is a potential film killer.
Despite these shortcoming, the story, character direction and visuals are enough to make this an interesting film worth exploring.
Runtime: One hour, 58 minutes
Availability: Currently in UK theaters; available in digital HD 7/1/24.
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