“The Feast” Review: A Gruesome Environmentalist Thriller

“I want to make a good impression,” so begins the opening chapter of “The Feast,” which is not only a foreboding line of the inevitable terror to come but something of a mission statement for freshman filmmaker, Lee Haven Jones. The setup is simple enough— a young woman (Annes Elwy) is summoned to serve at a dinner consisting of privileged guests discussing the next location to mine for oil. As the evening proceeds, so do the gruesome flashes of terror.

Despite his inexperience in feature filmmaking, Jones avoids the common mishaps of other first-time genre filmmakers and instead establishes himself as a new force to be reckoned with in the genre. The appeal of watching the gore unfold should be enough to tide over most horror fans, but what makes “The Feast” especially effective is its sense of atmosphere and a bitting script from screenwriter Roger Williams.

As an oil worker drills into an otherwise untapped piece of land in a lush Wales pasture, a violent uproar of oil explodes from the ground, almost as if Mother Nature herself is rebelling. The opening scene serves as the thesis for the film. Sure, the imagery may be a bit obvious, but Jones doesn’t appear to be aiming for subtlety.

The affluent family’s concern for the land is overshadowed by the interest in profit. Their modern fortress of a home is awkwardly juxtaposed to the beautiful Welsh landscapes that surround them further highlighting how they’ve thrust themselves into this region. It is at this home where our point of view character, the mysterious Cadi (Annes Elwy), is introduced. Initially, her timid personality could not make her seem more out of place as she's surrounded by these self-absorbed socialites preparing for a dinner where the family plans to discuss how they will further drill into the land around them. The wife of a local farmer, Delyth, (Caroline Berry) has been invited to this dinner where she will be met by the family and their associate, Euros. (Rhodri Meilir). During the dinner consisting of rabbits personally killed by the father (Julian Lewis Jones), which he often boasts, the family, along with their associate, plan to propose a deal to Delyth about drilling into what they believe to be oil-rich land owned by her and her husband.

While Williams’s screenplay seems to enjoy the ensuing carnage, there is no catharsis to be found. Instead, “The Feast” has a quiet sense of mourning to it all. While the audience may be able to enjoy this macabre massacre unfolding in front of our eyes, these solutions may be a bit too late. When you’ve taken everything, what will be left?” reads one of the several chapters segmenting the film. Williams isn’t just proposing a literal application of the phrase “eat the rich,” but instead offers a more sarcastic suggestion à la Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.”

Jones’s implementation of a tone that mirrors the works of Yorgos Lanthimos or more closely Julia Ducournau’s “Raw” in its cannibalistic perspective with a social lens may be the film’s biggest detractor. Although his directorial debut is sure to pique the interest of fans of the genre, the film is lacking the same unique sensibilities of the aforementioned filmmakers.

With its biting perspective of the environmental crisis looming over us all, “The Feast” is just as effective as serving the blood-thirsty fans of the genre as it is those who are looking for something a bit more contemplative. Sure, its grizzly violence may nauseate some, but “The Feast” serves as a siring indictment of those seeking to exploit the world of its natural resources and provides a demented sense of catharsis for those looking to do something about it.