The Pocket Film of Superstitions

Directed by Tom Lee Rutter

2023

A labour of love filmed in the West Midlands over several years, Tom Lee Rutter’s The Pocket Film of Superstitions is a wonderfully inventive, often wilfully silly and occasionally very spooky folk horror film.

With a voiceover by Shend, we are taken on a journey through a history of superstitions, from simple things such as spilling the salt, all the way through more sinister occurrences like human children being replaced with changelings.

Rutter’s love of folk horror is clear, with the aforementioned changeling sequence offering a genuinely unsettling moment in the film, with some excellent practical effects. But it’s the humour that will keep viewers coming back. Scenes are packed full of in-jokes and many of the superstitions covered are portrayed with tongue firmly in cheek.

Some moments feel like skits from a Monty Python film, with Rutter embracing the low budget to show clearly fake birds attached to strings. Others break the fourth wall, as the narrator checks their progress or as the Tarot Lady literally winks at the audience.

The cast, made up of primarily local actors, with some recognisable faces dotted around, work well. Understanding the tone that each segment requires and rising to the challenge of some of the more physical aspects of the humour. It’s hammed up at times, but that very much fits with Rutter’s vision.

While it’s a very different film, there is a sense of familiarity with Ashley Thorpe’s excellent Borley Rectory. The purposeful aging of the film to give it a film stock feel, and the way that superimposed images are occasionally. It helps that both films are so clearly passion projects, with a deep respect for folklore and horror history.

The Pocket Film of Superstitions transcends any budget limitations by either accepting them, and letting some moments add to the endearing nature of the film, or by coming up with creative, practical ways to overcome them. It’s a joy to watch from start to finish.

It also marks a notable step up from Rutter’s previous short Bella in the Wych Elm, which covered a well-known Worcestershire mystery, and should leave any genre fans excited for whatever he does next.

★★★★

4 / 5

Matthew Tilt

Twitter @Matthew_Tilt