DIRECTOR EXCLUSIVE
The Devil Inside
Neil Marshall’s back, bearing the mark of the witch in The Reckoning
→ “I WANTED TO RETURN TO THE horror genre,” says director Neil Marshall, who made his name – and ignited his career – with the visceral chills of Dog Soldiers (2002) and The Descent (2005).
Marshall’s latest, The Reckoning, isn’t just a return to his filmmaking roots. As he shares, it’s also a reaction against his last movie, 2019’s misfiring Hellboy reboot.
“I was kind of handcuffed on that film,” he tells Red Alert. “It was really miserable, because I didn’t get any creative input in the project. And so for this one I deliberately sacrificed having a budget for having complete control over the film. It was tough, but it was a way more satisfying experience. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved out of very little.”
A tale of persecution set against the plague-blighted backdrop of 17th century England, The Reckoning stars Charlotte Kirk as Grace Haverstock, a farmer’s widow accused of witchcraft. In the custody of the fanatical Judge Moorcroft (Sean Pertwee), the country’s fiercest witch hunter, she faces not just physical torture but her own – potentially literal – demons.