Midlands Review of Cry of the Magpie
midlandsmovies • November 15, 2020
Cry of The Magpie
Directed by Anthony Michael Tracy-Winson
2020
Mr Stitch Films
New dark horror-drama Cry of the Magpie from Mr Stitch Films was originally a feature but has been released online in four-parts.
We took a look at part one during October’s Halloween season (click here) and with the subsequent instalments arriving throughout November, the full piece will soon be available for viewers to watch as a series or as one long feature.
The film concerns itself with a woman (Lizzie) being released from an institution into the care of her sister but all is not well on her return to the family home. Is there something sinister afoot? Or could it be inside Lizzie’s head like the authorities suggested?
Well, part two kicks off in the bathtub where we left Lizzie witnessing a disturbed man haunting her consciousness. But her pleas to be believed are dismissed outright by her sister. And later, their dinner table argument leads to a bloody confrontation and the horror starts to increase and paranoia sets in.
At the next meal, thinking she’s being drugged, Lizzie pours out her soup and her anger at being treated like a child literally spills over pushing her sister into a rage.
Leaving part two on a violent slap from we arrive into the 3rd act with things more sombre but Lizzie becoming increasingly fragile – both mentally and physically. The style again is consistent throughout all 4 parts The 70s homage – both in editing, costume and the retro house design – is still terrific and really plays an important function in creating an unsettling atmosphere.
The family’s gardener Mr. Anderson plays a larger role in this segment as his sympathy for Lizzie is at odds with Margaret’s more austere attempts to cajole Lizzie back to “reality”.
The performances are top notch across the board too. We get to feel a range of emotions from confusion and empathy all the way through to disgust and worry. Ensuring there are real stakes at risk all the time. And with the main three characters all acting suspicious, the filmmaker has done a great job in keeping the mystery unexplained until the right moment.
Part 4 arrives on the back of a dark discovery at the end of the previous episode and we finally uncover some of the shadowy home truths. The term “cry of magpies” is believed to symbolise the arrival of a welcome visitor or the visit of death and the film aptly plays on this duality. Without spoiling, the true nature of the forces at play (be they spiritual or real) are discovered and revealed to be part of a distressful domestic drama of sorts.
With some typical nods to the genre, its familiar familial frights are actually given their own unique slant from a passionate Midlands filmmaker, who delivers a high-quality retro horror in four fantastic parts.
And in the end, with the narrative twists and turns, the film continually keeps you guessing until the final act, with Cry of the Magpie offering a tremendous mind-trip into the dark recesses of the mind.
Michael Sales
On Sunday 26th April Midlands Movies Editor Michael Sales & awards ceremony co-host Ed Stagg (BBC Radio) announced the nominations for the 2026 Midlands Movies Awards live from the Queen of Bradgate Vintage Cinema in Leicester. A big thanks was given to the entire Jury Panel of industry experts who gave up their precious time to watch a huge selection of creative projects and as always, had a difficult time choosing from the excellent number of films from the region. You can read the full list of nominations across all 16 categories below and watch our announcement videos here: Part 1 & Part 2 And please also check out our great awards partner Chrome Video Best Actress in a Leading Role Karendip Phull for Family Kate Bracken for The Lace Rachel Baker for Throwing Fruit Chloe Wade for How Long Sophie Bullock for Ma Prison Best Animated Film Of All the Things by Steff Lee Big Red by James Pyle Statue in the Garden by Qianhui Yu Butterfly by Jacob Christie Best Director Luke Worrall for The Waterline Lily Portman for Quiet Jack Richardson for Daniel’s Room Jonathan Hawes for Sorry We’re Closed Sophia Dall'Aglio for Man from Mars Best Documentary Nothing's Impossible by Jacob Thomas McClean A Birmingham Symphony by Jemma Saunders We Bring Light: Leicester's Diwali Legacy by Kieran Vyas The Sunshine Café by Jill Lampert Through the Viewfinder by William North Best Sound (Editing or Mixing) Neil Evans & his team for Artificial Insanity Alasdair Gretton for Dead on Distribution Deepanjali Patel for Earworm David Hamilton-Smith for The Pause Heidi Wilson for Of All The Things Best Actor in a Supporting Role Devon Junior for Lazar Tim Sparrow for Safety Net Shaiek Ahmed Rana for Family Luke Rollason for Quiet Peter Willoughby for A Story of Spring Best Visual & Special Effects Jake Wesley-Worrall for Soul Trader Steve Askey & team for The Correction Unit Nick Willett, Matt Burkey & Jayne Hyman for Black Goat JaqD SFX MUA, Mind Magic Studios and Ben Harker for Beyond the Witching Hour Jacob Christie for Countenance Best Cinematography Gary Rogers for The Pause Laurence Mason-Guetta for Sorry We’re Closed Ian Snape for Soul Trader Ash Connaughton for Daniel’s Room Duane Adamoli for Surfing (nominations continue below...)
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