Unwelcome is a 2023 Folk Horror movie directed by Jon Wright, starring Hannah John-Kamen, Douglas Booth, and Colm Meaney.
Jamie and Maya are a London couple. After being blessed with the news that Maya is finally pregnant, they have their home invaded and are assaulted by three men. Terrified, they move to a house in rural Ireland following Jamie's aunt's passing, but are warned that his aunt would leave an offering of liver to "The Little People", mysterious woodland beings that supposedly are responsible for the death of her family after she failed to follow ancient local traditions.
Tropes
- Alas, Poor Villain: It is quite sad seeing Aisling and Killian dying while asking for help from their father who has to watch them die. That said, they're still massive assholes, so it's still deserved.
- Asshole Victim: The Whelan family are pretty awful people. At best, they're a dysfunctional, petty mess, at worst, they're a murderous menace. It's not really a challenge to see them being killed by the Redcaps.
- Abusive Parents: "Daddy" Whelan would physically brutalize his own son whenever pissed at him.
- Bookends: The story begins with a man taunting Maya to use her knife when he stands in front of her and her knife is on his throat and calling her a nice girl when she can't seem to do it. It ends with her calling herself nasty as she kills one of the redcaps by stabbing his neck and kills an elderly woman by crushing her skull.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Molly, the lost dog that goes missing with the town drunk returns twice. Once to guide Maya to the Redcaps, and another to save her from being shot by Whelan.
- Cruel Twist Ending: Maya's baby gets taken by the Redcaps; she follows them and kills one of them and the girl they took from Maeve. In the process, however, her and Jamie seem to have lost their sanity as Maya is crowned "Mother Redcap".
- Death by Mocking: Realistically her chances were never good, but Aisling derisively asking if the little monsters that have her by the arms and feet were going to give her the "birthday bumps"
- where you're lifted into the air however many times depending on your age - wasn't a great idea. - Do Not Call Me "Paul": Colm Whelan insists that everyone, even those outside his family, refer to him as "Daddy".
- Eye Scream: The Mother Redcap goes out with Maya's thumbs knuckle deep in her eyes.
- Danger Takes a Backseat: Killian flees the house to the safety of the family van, fully prepared to leave his father behind right outside its door. Too bad a Redcap beats him there, crawling out of the back seat to slit his throat.
- Decapitation Presentation: After killing Eoin, the Redcaps present his head to Maya as a gift.
- The Fair Folk: A significant part of the story revolves around the goblins (Far Darrig, The Little People, or Redcaps) living in the Irish woods behind the main characters' new house.
- Gutted Like a Fish: Aisling is pinned down and slashed across the stomach by the Redcaps, spilling her intestines. She survives long enough to call for her Da and see her killers chortle at her fate.
- Heroic Dog: Maya is spared by Molly latching onto "Daddy" Whelan's arm when he's about to use his shotgun.
- I Want My Mommy!: Played straight during Aisling's death.
- Left Stuck After Attack: A cleaver Killian's using to defend himself gets stuck midway in a still screaming Redcap's head; the struggle to get it out and time wasted on taunting the little creature leaves him open to an ambush from more of them.
- Let's Fight Like Gentlemen: Subverted. Whelan isn't feeling so charitable after the Redcaps have slaughtered his children and puts a bullet in Jamie's shoulder instead.
- Mama Bear: Maya kills a Redcap and the woman that seems to be something of their acting leader when they take away her daughter.
- Papa Wolf: Upon learning that Eoin is dead, Whelan sets the house on fire to kill Jamie and Maya inside of it.
- Pre-Mortem One-Liner: "Daddy" Whelan makes a point to tell Maya the birdshot he's about to fire into her won't kill at the current distance. Upon losing the gun and Maya having it pointed inches from his head - Maya: How close do I need to get? [pulls trigger]
- Red Herring: The story is clearly setting up something with Jamie's newfound interest in boxing and fighting. It's more of a anti-climatic joke; his attempt at asking Whelan for them to fight mano-a-mano is rebuked and Whelan just shoots him.
- Red Sky, Take Warning: The sky is red during the final scene where blood rains down on Maya being "crowned" Mother Redcap.
- To Serve Man: Upon disemboweling Aisling the Redcaps squabble over the good parts, returning before long to drag away the remains of the Whelan clan.
- Would Hurt a Child: Or baby just about to be born. "Daddy" Whelan levels his shotgun at Maya's pregnant belly, planning to fill her full of birdshot as revenge for his own children's deaths.
- You Kill It, You Bought It: After killing the old woman acting as Mother Redcap, Maya is "crowned" as her replacement.
