Review: 'The Feast' is Something for Fans of Elegant Horror to Chew On

While it doesn't totally gel into a satisfying meal, the moody Welsh horror film "The Feast" has a lot of intrigue and style, with a little body horror to go with it.

Cadi (Annes Elwy) is hired by Glenda (Nia Roberts) to serve dinner to her family and two guests that will be arriving that evening. Glenda's husband Gwyn (Julian Lewis Jones) – a landowner who makes his money farming and in oil – has invited his friend Euros (Rhodi Mellir) to help convince their neighbor Mair (Lisa Palfrey) to sell some of their farmland for the purpose of drilling.

But the family is highly dysfunctional. Son Gweirydd (Sion Alun Davies) is obsessed with training for a triathlon and his brother Guto (Steffan Cennydd) is a recovering drug addict who doesn't get on with his father. Glenda is a controlling mess, trying hard to project an air of contentment while raging under the surface.

Enter Cadi who is quiet, a bit unsettling, and a complete mystery. Glenda treats her pretty poorly (she comes from a local tavern in town), but on occasion opens up about herself. Meanwhile, Cadi throws up at the sight of two recently killed rabbits they are going to cook for dinner and occasionally runs off upset by various goings on. She seems to be planning something, and has a peculiar connection to the earth; wait until you see where she saves a large piece of a broken wine bottle.

"The Feast" has a lot of mood, and trying to guess at what is going on makes the film a fascinating watch. Between the setting of the enormous sterile house, the unsettling music, the nutso family dynamics, and Cadi's odd persona, it's anyone's guess where the film will lead.

Director Lee Haven Jones' film has an A24 vibe for sure, and is compelling enough to hold a patient audience's interest. While it doesn't always land – and the core mystery ends up being a riff on the plot of about five other horror films this year – there's something for fans of elegant horror to chew on.

"The Feast" will be served in theaters and On Demand November 19th.