Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

A Field in England Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 27, 2022

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as both a standalone release (from Drafthouse Films) and as a part of All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror.

All the Haunts Be Ours advertises itself as "the most comprehensive collection of its kind", which may initially beg the question as to "kind of what?". But the release also comes with a front cover sobriquet proclaiming it "a compendium of folk horror", which may then beg the next obvious question as to what exactly "folk horror" is. In that regard, this set begins with a fascinating and diverse documentary which has its own subtitle referencing folk horror, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror, which provides a veritable glut of clips from international films which director (and this entire set's guiding light) Kier-La Janisse has assembled to help define the genre, but perhaps the best answer is to simply echo a certain Supreme Court Justice named Potter Stewart who was trying to decide a case involving supposed pornography, and who famously opined, "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description, and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it. . ."

A Field in England is quite simply indescribable, which makes approaching a review of the production well nigh impossible. Thankfully, Drafthouse Films released a Blu-ray of the film several years ago, and Michael Reuben's A Field In England Blu-ray review of that version is an excellent place to start, leaving me to perhaps add a tidbit or two from my viewings of this provocative if almost willfully obtuse effort. I'll start by saying that as odd as it may sound, especially for those who have read Michael's review of the Drafthouse release, is that A Field in England often struck me as a psychedelically laced combo platter of The Seventh Seal, at least in some of its presentational aspects, and The Canterbury Tales, at least in its original Chaucerian formulation of a bunch of pilgrims on a quest through the English countryside.

Either and/or both of those references may seem especially odd given this film's setting is during the Cromwell period in England, some three centuries after Chaucer's often ribald tome, and with the Bergman opus arguably taking place even a bit earlier. But time hardly matters in A Field in England, and in a way place really doesn't either, since the film overtly refers to "magic mushrooms" and doesn't shirk from providing what might be termed a POV experience of what consuming them might end up looking like (the film comes replete with a warning about "stroboscopic" images, and it definitely needs to be approached with caution by anyone subject to seizures). The story actually in a way ultimately brought to mind a third, and perhaps even more bizarre, referent, namely the memorable episode The Guests from The Outer Limits: Season One, wherein a gaggle of characters is more or less trapped in a (perhaps artificial?) environment (some may recall this episode was hilariously parodied on a Halloween episode of The Simpsons).

A Field in England Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

A Field in England is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Severin's insert booklet only contains a brief and generic "HD digital master" descriptor for the film, but Michael Reuben's review of the Drafthouse Films Blu-ray release contains more valuable information about both the cameras and lenses. This is a really stunning looking presentation almost all of the time, with really lustrous contrast and a gorgeously modulated palette that may not really push into high contrast territory, but comes awfully close some of the time. Detail levels are often exceptional in close-ups, offering precise renderings of everything from fabrics to, um, boils (if you see the film, you'll understand the halting reference). As Michael discusses in his review, some of the material is intentionally distorted, and the quick cut flashing and stroboscopic material may be difficult to watch even for those not necessarily prone to negative effects.

A Field in England Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

A Field in England features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 options. Both tracks offer excellent fidelity and great accountings of effects and score, and even the stereo track has nicely wide imaging, though it can't match the activity of the surround track. The sound design here verges on the hallucinogenic at times, matching some of the visual blandishments, but there's appealing clarity despite some of the layering. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly and the appealing score by Jim Williams sounds full bodied. Optional English subtitles are available.

A Field in England Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This release shares some but not all of the supplements the Drafthouse Films Blu-ray offered. Consult Michael Reuben's above linked review for more details.

• Audio Commentary with Director Ben Wheatley, Producer Andy Starke and Sound Editor Martin Pavey


• Letterboxd Magic Hour Episode One: Kier-La Janisse X Ben Wheatley (HD; 46:40) is a fun Zoom-like conversation between the two.


• Please Hear Me - The Music of A Field in England (HD; 6:00) focuses on the contributions of Jim Williams, who is also held in very high esteem by Kier-La Janisse, as she mentions in her introduction to Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched.


• Ben Wheatley in Conversation with Pete Tombs (HD; 22:41) stems from April 2013.


• Camera Tests (HD; 10:28)


• UK Trailer (HD; 1:52)


• US Trailer (HD; 2:03)

A Field in England Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'm not going to pretend I understood most (or, frankly, any) of A Field in England, but it was absolutely one of the most visceral viewing (and listening) experiences I had while wending my way through All the Haunts Be Ours. Technical merits are first rate, and the supplements (while missing some from the Drafthouse Films release) are very appealing. Highly recommended.