Hey guys,
We’ve been absolutely blown away by the overall reactions coming in about The Perished since it’s world premiere at FrightFest on the 26th of August. We’ve had 10+ reviews and the majority of them have been overwhelmingly positive. The best ones really and deeply understood the subject matter and message of the film. We are so grateful to all the press who attended the premiere or reached out for a screener if they were unable to attend. More reviews coming very soon, but we’re all overwhelmingly proud.
Also will be doing a separate post with all podcast interviews/mentions/appearances since the premiere very soon too!
NIGHTMARISH CONJURINGS REVIEW
“There is nothing easy about watching THE PERISHED, but most of the best genre films are difficult to watch. This is a small indie film that makes you feel and think, and stands tall against a lot of the mindless drivel being spat out by Hollywood today. I can’t recommend it enough.” – Connor Fitzgerald Strader
http://www.nightmarishconjurings.com/2019/09/17/frightfest-review-the-perished/?fbclid=IwAR0VhdFHYCHRNKqzKAGcDATzuxoz_PZgvFHyg6hos9o8zzTk7fYs7QOgeFI
JUMP CUT ONLINE REVIEW – 4/5
“Paddy Murphy gets behind his podium and tells his story, forcing you to be a part of the conversation. It’s piercing atmosphere will leave as much of a cold feeling in the pit of your stomach as it will leave you scared. The film is a brilliant sophomoric effort and solidifies Murphy’s spot on the “directors to watch” list.” – Andrew Brooker
https://jumpcutonline.co.uk/frightfest-2019-the-perished/
THE HOLLYWOOD NEWS REVIEW – 4/5
“Slowly and deliberately, once the phantom screams begin, Murphy starts to season the story with other creepy elements. These elements gradually build in frequency and intensity to an almighty crescendo that screams horror. The climactic moments are like something straight out of Clive Barker’s mind and have a distinct Hellraiser tone to them.” – Kat Hughes
http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/2019/08/26/the-perished-review-dir-paddy-murphy-frightfest-2019/
BRITFLICKS.COM REVIEW
“You hope that films like this serve to shine a light of culpability on the people who wear church doctrine like a shield against legislative changes and the individual misery they continue to cause by wanting to deny a woman the right to do what she wants with her body.” – Stuart Wright
https://www.britflicks.com/blog/post/9161/THE-PERISHED-Arrow-Video-FrightFest-2019-Film-Review/
ENTERTAINMENT FOCUS REVIEW – 3.5/5
“Paddy Murphy shows plenty of promise with The Perished. You can see his skill as both a writer and a director, and his premise for the film is engaging and unsettling. Add to that the current landscape in the Republic of Ireland in the context of the subject matter here, and I’d go as far as to say Murphy has been very bold. It looks like Irish genre films have got a rising star to keep an eye on and I can’t wait to see what he does for his next film.” – Pip Ellwood-Hughes
https://www.entertainment-focus.com/film-section/frightfest/arrow-video-frightfest-2019-the-perished-review/
KIM NEWMAN REVIEW
“Everyone apart from Sarah acts as if constrained by the conventions of their roles, but that’s precisely why her situation is so agonising – there’s a quiet horror in the moments when she foresees how conversations are going to play out with her useless boyfriend or narrow-minded mother but still has to go through with the argument.” – Kim Newman
https://johnnyalucard.com/2019/08/26/frightfest-review-the-perished/
PROJECTED FIGURES REVIEW
“Written and directed by Paddy Murphy (The Three Don’ts, 2017), The Perished is obviously made on a low budget, even if a similar economy does not always govern its dialogue, which is at times overlong, repetitive and a little on the banal side. Yet that mundanity offsets the bizarre nature of what is emerging in the house, and the film’s central issues – women’s bodies and choices in a country which has traditionally oppressed them – are compelling ones, here handled with welcome irrationality and irresolution.” – Anton Bitel
https://projectedfigures.com/2019/08/26/the-perished-2019/
THE KILLER SPOTLIGHT REVIEW – 4/5
“A great well written 1st attempt from a very passionate director Paddy Murphy with a solid team behind him to create a thoughtful drama about the rush decisions we make in life and the consequences that becomes of it.” – Jonathan Hughes
http://thekillerspotlight.com/2019/09/10/the-perished-review/
SPLATTER CHATTER REVIEW
“It’s clear that Murphy is a talented filmmaker to watch, however. The film shows his skill at navigating depth, tone, and tension. He clearly knows what’s horrifying. It may just be that he’s taken on something too terrifying, or too grand, here, but you can feel the effort behind his storytelling. And with that kind of passion driving him, I’ll be first in line to see what comes next.” – Craig Ranallo
https://splatter-chatter.com/2019/09/17/31-by-31-challenge-4-the-perished-2019/amp/?__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR1Zv3QN0PQn3OaubNTiBeluZsSdVIQx9lPaJqnDoNQmSy_y9JFTtobTi_M
RODDERS REVIEWS REVIEW – 3.5/5
“Murphy never forgets where the true horror lies. It’s in bowing to shame and stigma, actions which ensure a horrific cycle will remain unbroken, and cause the same tragedies to repeat ad nauseam. It’s taking away someones choice, relinquishing them of their autonomy, and forcing them to go through with something they don’t want to. It’s in these moments that the film stays with you, long after the credits have rolled.” – James Rodders
https://roddersreviews.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-perished-2019.html
DEPTH IN FILM REVIEW – 3.5/5
“This is reminiscent of early Scorsese and Stanley Kubricks sense of dread this film is not to be missed. If you’re at Fright Fest I’d highly recommend seeing this one it’s one of the best films” – A.J Friar
https://depthinfilmreview.com/2019/08/26/the-perished-frighfest-2019-review
HORROR CULT FILMS REVIEW – 3/5
“Murphy wisely sidesteps the question of when life begins by having the spirits act as a stand-in for stigma. He wants rural Ireland to face up to its history, so uses the location to draw a continuity between Sarah’s experiences and women from years, decades and centuries before. In this respect, The Perished isn’t pro-life or pro-choice but pro-empathy” – David. S. Smith
https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2019/08/frightfest-2019-day-5-a-good-witch-is-not-hard-to-find/
DAILY DEAD REVIEW – 2.5/5
“After Davet relays the unspectacular story of his coming out to his parents, he scolds Sarah for lighting a cigarette. “My parents might be okay with my sexuality,” he says, “but if they thought I was fu–ing smoking they’d crucify me!” It’s a playful line that captures the arbitrary rules by which households often operate, and suggests that, were things different, Sarah’s mother might have been merely anti-smoking rather than anti-choice.” – Sean McGeady
https://dailydead.com/frightfest-2019-review-the-perished-struggles-to-turn-goodwill-into-a-great-film/
NERDLY REVIEW – 2.5/5
“The Perished is fresh, interesting and often chilling with its supernatural horror. What it lacks in the occasional substandard performance, it makes up for with the story itself and the use of macabre visuals. Not the most mind blowing ghost story I’ve seen but still one I had fun with, and found a lot to like about, The Perished should appease those in need of a decent spooky tale.” – Chris Cummings
https://www.nerdly.co.uk/2019/08/26/frightfest-2019-the-perished-review/
THE FILM ERA REVIEW – 2.5/5
“The Perished is still a decent film that tells the story it wants to tell, but it feels a little lackluster overall. Despite my lowish rating, this is a horror with a very strong message that many people will connect with. While it didn’t fully resonate with me, Murphy has made an intriguing contribution to a genre that thrives off of the horrors of real life.” – Toni Stanger
https://thefilmera.com/2019/08/26/frightfest-2019-the-perished-review-an-emotionally-charged-blend-of-social-issues-and-horror/
