Star-studded film adaptation of lecturer’s atmospheric novel to be released to cinemas

An unsettling folk horror story set in the 1970s and written by a creative writing lecturer at Manchester Met’s Manchester Writing School is to be released to UK cinemas this September.

Starring Matt Smith (Dr Who) and Morfydd Clark (Lord of the Rings), Lecturer in Creative Writing Andrew Hurley’s Starve Acre – about to be brought to the big screen by BFI Distribution - sees a family’s seemingly idyllic rural life thrown into turmoil when their young son starts acting out of character.

A sudden, tragic event drives a wedge between the once happy couple, then an unexpected discovery and dark forces offer a disturbing possibility of reconnection between them.

Dubbed by the Guardian as a ‘chilling tale’, with Hurley described as having ‘a fine talent for evoking the menace of his northern landscapes’, Starve Acre received glowing literary reviews on its publication in 2019.

The film adaptation has already earned similar rave reviews following its debut screening at last year’s London Film Festival, with the Guardian noting its ‘intelligent, thought through performances’.

Hurley, Lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Met’s Manchester Writing School, said: “It’s exciting to see my novel brought to life. Daniel, the director and screenwriter, has done an incredible job. Not only does he explore the grief that’s there at the heart of the novel with great tenderness but also captures the weirdness in the English landscape so well on screen.”

Starve Acre Director, BAFTA nominee Daniel Kokotajlo, said: “I’m a sucker for films that put a spell on you with their attitudes and strange sensibilities. English folk tales like Starve Acre give you an opportunity to do that. It’s not just horror; it ends up in a weird, off-kilter place. It can be uncomfortably quiet and sensitive, then suddenly it slaps you in your face with its oddballness. That was the aim of this film: to create a mood of nervousness.”

Hurley’s latest achievement follows the success of his Costa-winning debut novel The Loney and his highly acclaimed second novel Devil’s Day, all of which have cemented his status as a notable British writer of modern gothic.

The film adaptation of Starve Acre written and directed by BAFTA nominee Daniel Kokotajilo will be released by BFI Distribution in UK and Irish cinemas on September 6^th 2024.

Manchester Met is celebrating its 200 year anniversary in 2024 and for the next few weeks will be looking at how creative excellence has been championed across two centuries – and continues to shape the industry today.