Unwelcome (film)
A folk horror film about Red Caps and a home invasion.
Unwelcome is a 2023 Irish-British folk horror film directed by Jon Wright, who co-wrote it with Mark Stay. The cast includes Hannah John-Kamen, Douglas Booth, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, Colm Meaney, and Kristian Nairn. Warner Bros. Pictures released the film in the United Kingdom, while Wildcard Distribution handled the Irish release on 27 January 2023.
The story follows a young London couple, Jamie and Maya, who learn Maya is pregnant. After a gang attacks them, they move to a rural Irish cottage inherited from Jamie's great-aunt Maeve. They hire the local Whelan family for renovations. An old friend of Maeve's, Niamh, warns them to leave a liver offering each night for the Red Caps, creatures living in the nearby forest, but the couple dismisses this as superstition. As they settle in, they discover Maeve lost a toddler daughter years ago, whose body was never found. Niamh tells Maya a tale that the child was traded to the Red Caps to save the father's life, though Maya suspects the baby was killed during postpartum depression.
The Whelans prove violent and unstable: the younger children steal, and the father beats his son Eoin. Maya follows a dog into the woods, finds a shrine to the Red Caps, and encounters Eoin, who speaks of his abuse. When she offers comfort, he tries to assault her, but is dragged away by the Red Caps. That night, Jamie confronts the Whelan children at a pub, while Maya receives Eoin's head in a bag from a Red Cap. The Whelans attack the house, demanding answers. Maya flees into the woods and promises the Red Caps anything for help. They kill the Whelans as Maya gives birth. After a hospital check, the Red Caps take the baby as payment. Maya follows them to the shrine, where she finds an elderly woman—Maeve's lost daughter—already dead or transformed. Refusing to let them keep her child, Maya offers herself as the new caretaker. The Red Caps accept her, and she returns home with her daughter. Jamie watches in horror as Maya is proclaimed the new "Mother Redcap."
The cast includes Hannah John-Kamen as Maya, Douglas Booth as Jamie, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell as Aisling, Colm Meaney as Daddy Whelan, Kristian Nairn as Eoin, Niamh Cusack as Niamh, Chris Walley as Killian, Paul Warren as Redcap Mr Sniff, Rick Warden as Redcap Chief, and Ania Marson as Mother Redcap.
Wright drew inspiration from Grimm fairytales and stories from his Irish grandfathe
- director
- Jon Wright
- writers
- Jon Wright, Mark Stay
- release_date
- 27 January 2023 (Ireland and UK)
- country
- Ireland, United Kingdom
- genre
- Folk horror
- production_companies
- Cornerstone Films, Tempo Productions, Warner Bros. UK
Lore & Background
The film follows young couple Jamie and Maya, who move from London to a rural Irish house inherited from Jamie's great-aunt Maeve. They are warned by Niamh, an old friend of the aunt, to leave nightly offerings of liver for the Red Caps living in the forest. The couple initially dismiss this as superstition. The local Whelan family, hired as builders, prove violent and disturbed; their son Eoin is abused by his father and later dragged away by the Red Caps, who present Maya with his head. The Whelans attack the house, and Maya flees to the woods, promising the Red Caps anything for help. The Red Caps kill the Whelans as Maya gives birth. Later, the Red Caps take the baby as payment. Maya follows them to a shrine, where she finds an elderly woman—the aunt's lost daughter—already dead or transformed. Refusing to let them keep her child, Maya offers herself as the new caretaker. The Red Caps accept her, and she returns home with her daughter, becoming the new 'Mother Redcap' without killing any of them.
Reader's Guide
Unwelcome is significant as a contemporary folk horror film that blends supernatural creatures with home-invasion tension. Director Jon Wright drew inspiration from Grimm fairy tales and stories from his Irish grandfather, pitching the film as 'Gremlins meets Straw Dogs'. The film uses practical effects for its Red Cap creatures, a choice praised by critics as a return to a lost cinematic art. Reviews note its tonal mix of psychological horror and creature-feature silliness, with metaphors for trauma and sacrifice. The film holds a 63% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics citing pacing issues but appreciating its fun, unpretentious approach. It stands as a modern entry in Irish folk horror, connecting rural superstition with domestic violence and maternal protection.
Did You Know?
- The film was originally titled 'Little People' when the cast was announced in October 2020.
- The Red Caps are practical effects created by prosthetics designer Shaune Harrison and creature designer Paul Catling.
- Director Jon Wright previously made the creature comedy 'Grabbers', and several crew members from that film worked on 'Unwelcome'.
- The film was released in the United States on 10 March 2023 and on digital on 14 March 2023.
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