‘They don’t belong here…’
The Blood Lands aka White Settlers is a 2014 British horror film directed by Simeon Halligan and starring Pollyanna McIntosh and Lee Williams.
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It’s Ed and Sarah’s first night at their new home – an isolated farmhouse on the Scottish borders. This should be a new beginning away from their stressful London lives. And at first it is; come sunset they fall in love all over again on a wander in the woods.
However, as darkness falls, Sarah suspects they’re not alone, Ed goes to investigate and quickly, the evening becomes a nightmare. It suddenly dawns on them; they do not belong here. And they certainly aren’t welcome either…
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Reviews:
“White Settlers draws its influences from films such as Straw Dogs and Eden Lake, pursuing atmosphere and irrepressible terror over an over-reliance on blood and repetitive jump cuts. There will be few, if any, better British horror films this year and should therefore be compulsory viewing. ” The Horror Asylum
“Although there’s a fair amount of violence, White Settlers doesn’t take the easy route of heading straight for shock value, scoring points instead by psychological means; through relentless tension and building anxiety. Which is not to say it doesn’t have its average share of jolts and jumps, but wisely, they are applied sparingly.” Starburst
” … The Blood Lands is a fine film that deserves mention among the stronger home invasion features out there. It may never pick up the following of The Strangers, or You’re Next, but it isn’t a film to dismiss as B-movie forgetfulness. It isn’t a movie to skip. This is a quality picture, thick on tension and heavy on chills.” Matt Molgaard, Best Horror Movies
“White Settlers’ first act establishes a solidly realistic tone, leading the viewer to expect that the film will venture to some pretty dark and extreme places. The setup opens up all sorts of possibilities for an intense and gruesome experience, but—perhaps due to budget constraints—the violence does not go as far as the audience may expect or hope for in a home-invasion flick.” Camilla Jackson, Fangoria
“Clearly constrained by its tight budget, White Settlers has the cramped look and feel of a TV drama. It still delivers some visceral thrills, especially in its latter half, but lacks the originality, depth or strong performances to transcend its formulaic genre trappings.” Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood Reporter
” …the villains of the film — those who target McIntosh’s character Sarah and her lover, Ed — are relentless, and seem to be inspired by the villains of You’re Next and Ils (a.k.a. Them). However, these nasties are unaware of the powerhouse that is Sarah — and this game of cat and mouse is not going to remain blood-free.” Matt Molgaard, Blumhouse.com
“Despite an amoral denouement that jars the final moments – in some senses it echoes of Eden Lake – White Settlers is best viewed as a run of the mill home invasion movie.” Britflicks
“Horror can be a great genre for engaging with current events. It’s too bad, then, that White Settlers, a film much-hyped as the first independence referendum-themed horror movie, delivers neither decent genre thrills nor provokes much subtextual unease about Scotland’s relationship with England in the run up to the vote.” Alistair Harkness, The Scotsman
Release:
The film’s world premiere was on 23 September 2014 at the Film4 FrightFest.
Magnolia Home Entertainment distributed the film in the USA on Blu-ray under their Magnet Releasing label.
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