It is the season of Folk horror, and coming from Southern Italy is a tale of what is lurking in the woods beyond the village: The Forbidden Lands (aka Le Terre Incolte). Filled with religious dogma, accusations of witchcraft, and beautifully-scouted scenes throughout the village and beyond, this film makes you yearn for summertime frolicking and wonder of what really happens outside of the safety of the town.
In a remote Southern Italian village, fear spreads after a series of mysterious disappearances in the nearby woods. When two strangers arrive claiming to be messengers of the Lord, the desperate townspeople see them as saviors-except for one woman, who, with the help of a free-spirited girl and an outcast accused of witchcraft, uncovers a darker truth that lies beyond the edge of the known world.
The Forbidden Lands, IMDB
A man and his grandson are bird hunting in the forest when they come upon the half-eaten body of their local priest. Upon bringing him back to the village (rumors quickly spreading of the possibility of wolves), the boy ventures out again with friends and is killed the same way. In a frenzy, townsfolk blame a local disturbed homeless woman for supposedly performing witchcraft and causing the deaths, thus imprisoning her. Soon after, a wandering hermit and his large bodyguard promise salvation, two men later finding out their devious and deadly ulterior motives. The sister of one of the men, the homeless woman, and a local spinster jump on the case to find the truth, discovering their worries are all so real — and more than they bargained for.
The Forbidden Lands starts off with death and pulls you straight into the mystery. Immediately we are imagining the worst for what could have caused these deaths — not only of grown men, but of children. The townsfolk are scared, but their penchant for religion-based blame and mob mentality easily makes them the abusers as well, proving that it is not only the outskirts of the town that aren’t safe, it’s within the town itself. The hermit and his guard’s arrival leads us to a new twist and pivots the film into an entirely new direction. I won’t spoil it, but it makes The Forbidden Lands all the more sinister, threatening to bring it out of the Folk subgenre altogether. But alas, it stays firmly in the Folk realm with actual monsters making an appearance, as well as dreamlike sequences under the golden Italian sun.
Which is what Folk horror is really about, right? Most of the time, this subgenre doesn’t dwell on insanely scary situations, instead opting to focus on the beautiful-yet-terrifying. The town is idyllic with its white plaster walls, classical churches, and baskets of fruit, sausage, and cheese. But the townsfolk are quick to pounce when something doesn’t abide by religion, and the forest hides both men and monsters. The Forbidden Lands‘ hero — is actually a heroine, giving that solid witchy vibe to the film. The true horror of it all isn’t the deaths themselves, but the intense beauty of it all. It’s hard to look away from.
This film is everything a Folk horror enthusiast could dream of: sun-drenched streets, childhood innocence, death in the forest, and madness running rampant through the village. It is peak daytime horror, perfect for summer afternoons. The Forbidden Lands likely won’t give you nightmares, but it will leave you with a feeling of vulnerability and that the safety nets you have come to count on are actually your downfall; in a world of magic and mania, the wilderness gives, and the wilderness takes.
The Forbidden Lands is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.
