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FolknHell

FolknHell

By: Andrew Davidson Dave Houghton David Hall
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FolknHell is the camp-fire you shouldn’t have wandered up to: a loud, spoiler-packed podcast where three unapologetic cine-goblins – host Andy Davidson and his horror-hungry pals David Hall & Dave Houghton, decide two things about every movie they watch: 1, is it folk-horror, and 2, is it worth your precious, blood-pumping time.


Armed with nothing but “three mates, a microphone, and an unholy amount of spoilers” Intro-transcript the trio torch-walk through obscure European oddities, cult favourites and fresh nightmares you’ve never heard of, unpacking the myths, the monsters and the madness along the way.


Their rule-of-three definition keeps every discussion razor-sharp: the threat must menace an isolated community, sprout from the land itself, and echo older, folkloric times.


Each episode opens with a brisk plot rundown and spoiler warning, then erupts into forensic myth-picking, sound-design geekery and good-natured bickering before the lads slap down a score out of 30 (“the adding up is the hard part!")


FolknHell is equal parts academic curiosity and pub-table cackling; you’ll learn about pan-European harvest demons and still snort ale through your nose. Dodging the obvious, and spotlighting films that beg for cult-classic status. Each conversation is an easy listen where no hot-take is safe from ridicule, and folklore jargon translated into plain English; no gate-keeping, just lots of laughs!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Davidson, Dave Houghton, David Hall Art
Episodes
  • The Blood On Satan's Claw (1971)

    The Blood On Satan's Claw (1971)
    Jul 9 2026
    FolknHell dig up The Blood On Satan’s Claw, Piers Haggard’s 1971 folk horror classic, originally released as Satan’s Skin, and ask, "Is it one of the true pillars of the genre, or just a disjointed rural nightmare with excellent eyebrows?"This episode, Andy Davidson, Dave Houghton and David Hall head into the furrows for The Blood On Satan’s Claw, Piers Haggard’s 1971 tale of rural panic, possessed children, suspiciously hairy patches and authority figures making one terrible decision after another.Often named as part of folk horror’s so-called Unholy Trinity alongside The Wicker Man and Witchfinder General, this is a film with impeccable credentials: an isolated village, something nasty unearthed from the land, old evil pushing up through the soil, and a community that reacts to crisis with all the calm restraint of a mob holding rope.The chaps discuss the film’s odd portmanteau origins, its brilliant but bumpy structure, Angel Blake’s alarming rise as the leader of the village children, the deeply uncomfortable mix of sex, violence and moral panic, and whether this is actually the most openly supernatural member of the Unholy Trinity.There is also time for Anthony Ainley’s excellent priest, Patrick Wymark’s magnificently unpleasant judge, the skull with the living eye, Satan being assembled like a rural occult flat-pack, and the heroic return of the wobbly sword.Scores are cast, claws are counted, and the big question is asked: is The Blood On Satan’s Claw a great folk horror film, or just a flawed but essential one?Spoilers throughout, obviously. If you have not seen the film, consider this your warning from the edge of the field.FolknHell VerdictThe Blood On Satan’s Claw is absolutely folk horror. Rural isolation, threat from the land, old evil, corrupted youth, religious authority, mob justice and deeply strange local behaviour all come bundled together in one filthy little 1971 package.It is also messy, abrupt and sometimes baffling, but that is part of its strange power. The FolknHell score: 19 out of 30.ScoresDavid Hall: 6/10Dave Houghton: 6/10Andy Davidson: 7/10Total: 19/30Links:Read the episode review: [FolknHell review page link]Read the full transcript: [FolknHell transcript page link]Read the deeper blog article: [FolknHell blog article link]Read the full transcript: [FolknHell transcript page link]TMDbRotten TomatoesSuggested Tagsfolk horror, British horror, The Blood On Satan’s Claw, Satan’s Skin, Piers Haggard, Tigon, 1970s horror, Unholy Trinity, occult horror, rural horror, FolknHellContent WarningContains discussion of sexual violence, child death, body horror, religious abuse, mob justice and spoilers for The Blood On Satan’s Claw.Folknhell is the folk horror podcast where Andy Davidson, Dave Houghton and David Hall dig into strange cinema, argue about whether it really counts as folk horror, and score every film out of 30.Add your own score and comments about the films at https://www.folknhell.com/scoresFind us on the socials:YouTube: @folknhellFacebook: FolknHellX: @FolknHellBluesky: FolknHellSee acast.com/privacy for info. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    49 mins
  • Hokum

    Hokum
    Jun 25 2026

    A remote hotel. A haunted honeymoon suite. A chalk circle that really should have been finished properly. Hokum gives us scares, screams and one very busy dumbwaiter, but does it give us folk horror?


    In this episode the FolknHell trio check into Hokum, Damien McCarthy’s 2026 horror about a cynical, suicidal writer retreating to a remote Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, finish his book, and generally be horrible to almost everyone he meets. Before long, there are rumours of a witch, a locked honeymoon suite, a missing hotel worker, magic mushrooms, a terrifying cellar, and a plot that starts behaving like a locked-room mystery after several pints.


    The good news: the film is genuinely scary. Andy and Dave both found it tense, jumpy and effective in the cinema, while David admits it made him scream “like a lemon”. The bad news: the more they talk, the more Hokum starts to wobble. Om Bauman is hard to care about, the backstory arrives far too late, the police apparently cannot search a building properly, and the folk horror elements feel less woven in than nailed on.


    The big debate lands on whether Hokum is folk horror at all. There is an isolated setting, a witch, folklore, chalk protection and a buried basement, but the real threat is human panic, cowardice and Mel making every possible wrong decision.


    Final verdict: scary once, flawed on reflection, and probably folk horror adjacent rather than the real thing.


    Total FolknHell score: 15 out of 30.


    For more reviews, scores and discussions visit the FolknHell website

    Folknhell is the folk horror podcast where Andy Davidson, Dave Houghton and David Hall dig into strange cinema, argue about whether it really counts as folk horror, and score every film out of 30.


    Add your own score and comments about the films at https://www.folknhell.com/scores


    Find us on the socials:

    • YouTube: @folknhell
    • Facebook: FolknHell
    • X: @FolknHell
    • Bluesky: FolknHell


    See acast.com/privacy for info.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • Kill List

    Kill List
    Jun 11 2026

    A hitman thriller that slowly mutates into something ancient, ritualistic and deeply disturbing. The more we watched Kill List, the less certain we became about what we were actually seeing.


    Ben Wheatley's Kill List has built a reputation as one of the most important British horror films of the 21st century, and after revisiting it the FolknHell crew found themselves just as fascinated, confused and impressed as ever.


    What begins as the story of two ex-soldiers turned contract killers gradually unfolds into something much stranger. Jay and Gal take on a lucrative assignment, only to discover a trail of ritualistic murders, grateful victims, occult symbols and a conspiracy that stretches far beyond a simple kill contract.


    The conversation explores the film's claustrophobic handheld style, its brutal realism, and its portrait of male alienation and trauma. Andy, Dave and David discuss how the film seems to reveal new layers on every viewing, yet somehow becomes more puzzling at the same time.


    Naturally, the big question is whether Kill List belongs in the folk horror canon. Despite its modern setting and lack of traditional folk horror imagery, the hosts ultimately conclude that its secretive cult, ritual sacrifice, ancient symbols and collision between modern life and older belief systems firmly earn it a place in the genre.


    The verdict? A rare moment of complete agreement. Andy, Dave and David all awarded the film 8/10, praising its ambition, rewatch value and willingness to leave audiences unsettled long after the credits roll.


    Enjoyed this episode? Add your own score and comments for the film at https://www.folknhell.com/scores

    Folknhell is the folk horror podcast where Andy Davidson, Dave Houghton and David Hall dig into strange cinema, argue about whether it really counts as folk horror, and score every film out of 30.


    Add your own score and comments about the films at https://www.folknhell.com/scores


    Find us on the socials:

    • YouTube: @folknhell
    • Facebook: FolknHell
    • X: @FolknHell
    • Bluesky: FolknHell


    See acast.com/privacy for info.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
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insightful and fun conversations reviewing unusual horror films that could be considered as holk horror.

unusual horror films

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