‘Dogged’ (2018) Movie Review

I had the pleasure of seeing Richard Rowntree’s Dogged. The film started out as a short film in 2015 that finished fifth overall on the BBC Three show The Fear. The short became a full length film after getting funds from a Kickstarter campaign that was held. The story of Dogged follows university student Sam who goes back home for the funeral of a young girl. That is when Sam starts asking questions and all hell breaks lose.

Official Synopsis: 

When Sam returns home to the tidal island where he grew up to attend a funeral, he soon discovers that the seedy underbelly of this small community harbors more than just a few secrets.

Dogged starts off with Sam is coming back home to a small sea village to attend a funeral for a girl who accidentally fell off a cliff and died. First off, the scene in the church was just brilliant and helped to show that there is something more to this town. The town’s cult has a strong presence throughout the entire film and the plot itself reminded me of Hot Fuzz, because the townspeople covered up the death of the young girl. This story works and kept me completely captivated.

The cinematography was amazing. Even the flashbacks fit perfectly in the film’s narrative, helping to break down the town’s façade. The creepy animal masks were a good choice and definitely helped play up the cult theme. The ending was something that I didn’t see coming. I don’t think very many people at all will see the ending coming.

Overall, I enjoyed Dogged. There was so much talent in this UK indie release, starting with director Richard Rowntree. The cast includes Sam Saunders, Toby Wynn-Davies, Jo Southwell, Philip Ridout and Aiysha Jebali. The film is scheduled to premiere at the San Antonio Horrific Film Festival on October 21st and will have its second screening at RIP Horror Film Festival in LA in November. So far, Dogged has been nominated for 7 awards, including Best Feature, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. Keep your eyes peeled, because Dogged is anticipated to be released in early 2018. Are you going to watch this mysteriously creep film when it hits VOD? Let us know in the comments below!