Common Sense Media Review
By Tom Cassidy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Intense, trippy folk horror has violence, gore, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
A Field in England
What's the Story?
In A FIELD IN ENGLAND, deserters leave an English Civil War battle and come under control of a powerful alchemist, O'Neil (Michael Smiley), who forces them to search for treasure.
Is It Any Good?
This inventive, psychedelic trip back in time to the 1600s is an extreme and exhilarating experience for fans of dark humor and unsettling horror. A handful of images in A Field in England will stick with you forever. Reece Shearsmith is incredible as the cowardly alchemist's assistant, Whitehead, and his performance forms many of the inventive and indelible images dreamt up by director Ben Wheatley. Shot in 12 days and filmed in black and white, the earthy and dirty film feels authentically 17th century and also recalls dark European horror movies of the 1970s. Every performer excels in their roles and the result is a genre and mind-bending modern classic.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in A Field in England. Did you think it was exciting or off putting? What purpose did the violence in the movie serve?
What role did drugs play in the movie? Were they glamorized? How did the filmmakers try to portray the psychedelic sequences?
Discuss the strong language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary, or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
Discuss the occult practices and superstition present in the movie. Why were these so common in the 1600s? What other folk horror films have you seen? How did this compare?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 7, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : August 10, 2016
- Cast : Reece Shearsmith , Michael Smiley , Julian Barratt
- Director : Ben Wheatley
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Drafthouse Films
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : History
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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