THINE EARS SHALL BLEED (2024)

Thine Ears Shall Bleed (2024)
Directed by: Ben Bigelow
Written by: Ben Bigelow, William Bigelow
Starring: Andrew Hovelson, Duke Huston, Hannah Cabell, Lea Zawada, Lucas Near-Verbrugghe

THINE EARS SHALL BLEED (2024)
Directed by Ben Bigelow
Available on Digital in the UK

The Thatcher family find themselves lost in the woods whilst on the way to collect an organ for their father Ezekiel’s church. After deciding to set up camp for the night, the family are dismayed the next morning to find their horses, Gideon and Goliath, have gone walkabouts, leaving them stranded in the woods. As they set off in search for their steeds, the family begins to discover the forest is home to many secrets. After hearing an eerie but melodic noise coming from deep within the woods, Ezekiel is convinced it is a message from God himself, but could there be more to the mysterious melody than meets the eye?

You don’t get many Western horrors but THINE EARS SHALL BLEED is a fine example of the genre, with the events set in the American West during the 1860’s. Travelling by wagon, the religious Thatcher family, comprising of optimistic Reverend Ezekiel, doting wife Sarah, teenage daughter Abigail, who has aspirations to visit New York, and teenage son Luke, who was born blind, are an ordinary family who are caught off-guard after following the wrong path at a fork in the road. An easy mistake to make, but one they won’t forget in a hurry.

As the Thatchers uncover the strange secrets of the woods, we begin to see how dangerous belief can be. Ezekiel’s unwavering faith and devotion to God sees him interpret everything as a sign from the Lord, and at first it can be hard to disagree. But what can easily be construed as a miracle of God could also be interpreted as something else. Sarah understands this but Ezekiel does not, for that would be akin to spitting in the face of the maker himself. As the divided opinion on the strange revelations of the woodland begins to fracture the family, we start to see just what kind of situation the Thatchers have found themselves in.

THINE EARS SHALL BLEED features terrific performances from the small cast, especially Andrew Hovelson as obsessive Reverend Ezekiel Thatcher, whose utterly compelled by the idea that God is speaking to him, and Hannah Cabell as Sarah Thatcher, Ezekiel’s wife who is rightfully wary and concerned that her husband is prioritising his religious notions over that of their family and their survival. As the days go by and starvation becomes a stark threat, it is Sarah who must take the lead and provide for her family, whilst husband Ezekiel is preoccupied, busy scribbling sermons and making notes from what he believes is the voice of God. Knowing full well they won’t survive on an empty stomach, Sarah is left to secure sustenance, refuting Ezekiel’s idea that the Lord will provide. Her common sense grounds the story as Ezekiel continues to grow further and further apart from his loved ones, completely enraptured with what he believes is a higher purpose for them all. But just how far will one man go for his beliefs?

THINE EARS SHALL BLEED is a wonderfully made movie, making fine use of its locations and cast to craft a convincing period story from which simmers a sinister undercurrent. In every aspect, from wardrobe to script, the film pulls the viewer into its manipulative, claustrophobic plot where things may not be as they seem, drip-feeding the horror elements at just the right moments to build up to its satisfying conclusion.

A creepy, disturbing tale of when faith meets desire.

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