'GoT' Fans, Beware – This Horror With 36% on RT Lures You With Familiar Faces, Then Bores You to Death

The Dreadful is a new gothic horror movie by Natasha Kermani starring Sophie Turner and Kit Harington.

If you're looking forward to seeing Jon Snow and Sansa Stark in a dark medieval setting again, consider rewatching Game of Thrones.

What Is 'The Dreadful' About?

It's medieval England in the 15th century during the Wars of the Roses. Seamus leaves his wife, Anne, and his mother, Morwen, in a house on the edge of a forest to go to the front. Famine has ravaged the country, and the women are struggling to make ends meet. When food is scarce, they kill and rob random travelers.

The first to return is not Seamus, but their neighbor Jago, a fisherman who has long been in love with Anne. He reports that Seamus has died, and Anne finds solace in Jago's arms.

Morwen goes mad, and at that very moment, a mysterious knight on horseback appears in the nearby woods. People begin to die near Anne.

'The Dreadful' Is a Melodramatic Horror Film That Fails to Scare or Captivate

The Dreadful reimagines classic Japanese film Onibaba, shifting the setting from 14th-century Japan to 15th-century England.

In the opening minutes, a realistic drama unfolds. Seamus' wife and mother nearly die of starvation and lose their humanity – they become victims of a senseless war. It's a strong beginning, but when Jago returns, the plot splits.

The result is a melodramatic horror that neither frightens nor captivates. Kermani creates an atmosphere of a dark medieval nightmare by cutting the characters off from the outside world, yet fails to develop the story in a compelling way.

The events unfold slowly, and the characters' fates become irrelevant by the midpoint of the movie.

The director hasn't decided on a genre: is it a psychological drama about trauma, a mystical horror with a ghost knight, or a love triangle set against the backdrop of war? Ultimately, it is neither.

Not Even Sophie Turner, Kit Harington, or Marcia Gay Harden Can Save This Weak Movie

Sophie Turner and Kit Harington are the only reasons anyone would care about The Dreadful, but their presence alone can't save it.

Harington tries to give his character depth, but the script leaves him no room to maneuver. Turner's appearance is beautiful and pained – exactly what's required of her – but that's not enough.

Marcia Gay Harden is the only one who manages to draw out any emotion as the distraught mother-in-law, but her character is so one-dimensional that even her talent is ineffective.

A mysterious knight in armor appears regularly, shrouded in a greenish haze, but his role remains unclear until the very end. Is he an avenger, a ghost, or simply a figment of the imagination? The movie offers no answer, and this isn't an artistic device but dramatic impotence.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Dreadful'?

• The Dreadful has 36% from critics and 44% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 3.9/10.

• On Letterboxd, The Dreadful scored 2.1/5.0.

Where to Watch 'The Dreadful'?

The Dreadful is available to stream on Prime Video.