Athina Rachel Tsangari’s Harvest: Where Folk Horror Meets Nihilist Western

Blimey, just when you thought folk horror couldn’t get any weirder, along comes Athina Rachel Tsangari’s Harvest to properly scramble your brain. Having caught an early screening at the BFI (where I nearly spilled my oat flat white during that bonkers opening sequence), I can confirm this isn’t your gran’s Wicker Man-style romp in the countryside.

A Genre-Bending Mind Trip That Defies Classification

Remember when we thought A24’s folk horror offerings were pushing boundaries? Harvest laughs in the face of genre conventions, then does a little jig on their grave. Tsangari’s latest mind-bender opens with what might be 2025’s most arresting sequence: Caleb Landry Jones, looking like he’s stepped out of a fever dream, munching moss and licking rocks while dressed in a cape that’d make Doctor Strange proper jealous.

The film’s soundscape is equally bonkers, matching close-mic’d ASMR-worthy nature sounds with face-melting Romanian prog rock. It’s like someone threw Valhalla Rising, Rousseau’s philosophy, and a King Crimson album into a blender – and somehow, it works.

The Greek New Wave Gets Gnarly

Tsangari’s been pushing cinematic boundaries since Attenberg, but Harvest feels like her most personal (and peculiar) offering yet. “I call it a nihilist western,” she told me during our chat at a cozy Soho caf, “but really, it’s whatever fever dream you want it to be.”

The director’s previous works – from the oddball male competition in Chevalier to BBC Two’s throuple drama Trigonometry – look positively mainstream compared to this latest venture. But isn’t that what we love about Greek cinema? Just when you think you’ve got it sussed, it goes and does something completely mental.

Critical Division and Traumatic Reviews

The film’s been splitting critics faster than a lightning bolt through a village church. Some reckon it’s the most innovative piece of cinema since Tr, while others have been less kind. “The traumatic reviews?” Tsangari chuckles, stirring her tea. “They’re just part of the harvest.”

FAQ: Your Burning Questions About Harvest

Is Harvest actually a folk horror film?

While it features elements of folk horror, Tsangari’s film transcends simple categorisation. Think of it more as an experimental pastoral feature that borrows from multiple genres, including folk horror, western, and avant-garde cinema.

What’s the deal with the Romanian rock soundtrack?

The film’s use of Romanian prog rock creates a deliberate contrast with its pastoral setting. Tsangari chose this music to underscore the film’s themes of modernity clashing with tradition.

How does Harvest compare to Tsangari’s previous work?

While maintaining her signature experimental style, Harvest represents Tsangari’s most ambitious and genre-defying work to date, marking a significant departure from her earlier films like Attenberg and Chevalier.

The Bottom Line

Whether Harvest leaves you scratching your head or picking your jaw up off the floor (likely both), there’s no denying it’s unlike anything else you’ll see in 2025. It’s the kind of film that makes you grateful for directors who dare to be different, even if that means traumatising a few film critics along the way.

Fancy a proper mind-bending cinema experience? Harvest hits UK cinemas next month. Just don’t blame me if you never look at wheat fields the same way again.