The Northern Irish folk horror film MANDRAKE – written by Matt Harvey – has been acquired by Shudder for streaming in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and North America.

The film debuted at FrightFest Glasgow in March and follows a probation officer attempting to return notorious murderer ‘Bloody’ Mary Laidlaw to society after twenty years in jail – but her faith and resolve are tested when children go missing, and accusations of witchcraft begin to stir.

MANDRAKE was directed by debutant Lynne Davison for Village Films, and backed by Northern Ireland Screen’s New Talent Focus program. It will exclusively stream on the leading genre streaming service.

Praise for MANDRAKE:

‘This casts a particularly creepy spell… A few shock moments jar the nerves, but it’s the atmosphere of damp, earthy dread that’ll stick with you.’ – Kim Newman

‘The film doesn’t leave much room for hope, but it does present viewers with a shifting moral landscape in which motivations are tricky to pin down. There is witchcraft involved here, alright, but it’s not a simple matter of good versus evil – it’s much more uncomfortable than that.’ – Jennie Kermode, Eye for Film

‘Matt Harvey’s screenplay is loaded with tensions and shocking surprises, and Davison wrings every possible bit of suspense from it, giving the film a brooding, dread-filled atmosphere… Unrelentingly bleak and absolutely mesmerizing, Mandrake gets my highest recommendations.’ – Joseph Perry, The Scariest Things

About Matt Harvey

Matt is a feature film and television writer specializing in thrillers and factual dramas. His credits include the award-winning AN ACT OF DEFIANCE, which tells the true story of the ANC Rivonia trial in Apartheid South Africa. Matt is represented by Conrad Williams.