THE DREADFUL movie poster | ©2026 Lionsgate

Rating: R
Stars: Sophie Turner, Kit Harington, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurence O’Fuarain, Jonathan Howard
Writer: Natasha Kermani
Director: Natasha Kermani
Distributor: Lionsgate
Release Date: February 20, 2026 (theatrical, VOD, digital)

THE DREADFUL is set in medieval times in what appears to be Cornwall (this is where the film was shot – viewers with better ears for the language spoken at the opening may be able to place it more accurately). We begin with subtitled Gaelic narration over footage of a knight. We are informed that this entity walks a dark path, feeds on envy and acts without mercy, it doesn’t rest, it waits for you.

This frankly leads us to expect something different than what we receive. The Gaelic dialogue spoken onscreen turns to English during a church service. Among the congregants are devout, attractive Anne (Sophie Turner) and her mother-in-law Morwen (Marcia Gay Harden).

Anne and Morwen live together in a small house outside a tiny fishing village. They are awaiting the return of Seamus (Laurence O’Fuarain), Anne’s husband and Morwen’s only son, from the wars.

Anne fears for Seamus’s safety, while Morwen is confident that Seamus will return with riches that will improve their situation and status.

Meanwhile, Morwen helps make ends meet by stealing from people, even those she knows. When Anne questions this, Morwen defends her actions, and warns Anne of hellfire should she disobey her mother-in-law.

Then Seamus’s best friend Jago (Kit Harington) returns from the war alone, with ill tidings. Morwen’s behavior gets worse as she and Jago fight with and over Anne, who was once Jago’s childhood companion along with Seamus.

Anne begins to see an ominous knight clad in black armor, riding a white horse. The knight seems to have the ability to appear and disappear suddenly, which means Anne is unable to prove to others what is causing her alarm.

There is a supernatural element here, but while we can understand why it’s terrifying to these vulnerable, isolated individuals, it’s less scary to us. The knight kills, but he doesn’t seem to be especially triggered by any specific activity. Consequently, we’re not sure exactly what we’re supposed to fear from him.

This leaves us with the tug of wills between the three main characters which, while well-acted, doesn’t have a lot of nuance. Harden is convincingly desperate and malicious as Morwen, Harington is plaintive and earthy as Jago, and Turner evidences so much backbone as Anne that we easily understand why both the other characters want her on their side.

GAME OF THRONES fans may be entertained – or possibly perturbed – by the notion of Sansa Stark and Jon Snow (or at least the actors who played them) as a possible romantic pairing. It’s not quite distracting, but given the period and the verbiage, we’re reminded of Turner and Harington’s previous work.

Thanks to Julia Swain’s cinematography and Kelly Toole’s production and costume design, we do feel transported to another time and another place.

However, writer/director Natasha Kermani’s commitment to not only the look but the narrative conventions of folklore means that we don’t get a lot of inflection. Everything is a slow burn, and while this gives us time to soak up detail, it doesn’t provide many twists or standout moments.

This means that THE DREADFUL plays a little as if we’re watching a live-action storybook. It’s faithful to the form, but not as lively, frightening or immersive as this subgenre can be.

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