Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 27, 2026

Frewaka

Fréwaka is a 2024 Irish folk horror film written and directed by Aislinn Clarke, starring Bríd Ní Neachtain, Clare Monnelly, and Aleksandra Bystrzhitskaya.

Last revised
Jun 27, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
343 w
Citations
13
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Fréwaka
Film poster
Directed byAislinn Clarke
Written byAislinn Clarke
Starring
CinematographyNarayan Van Maele
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • 9 August 2024 (2024-08-09)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryIreland
LanguagesIrish Gaelic
English
Box office$21,8931

Fréwakaa is a 2024 Irish folk horror film written and directed by Aislinn Clarke, starring Bríd Ní Neachtain, Clare Monnelly, and Aleksandra Bystrzhitskaya.

Premise

A young woman named Siubhán ("Shoo") is a home care worker assigned to look after an elderly woman named Peig. Reluctant to be cared for, Peig shows signs of superstitious behavior as well as a belief that preternatural entities have abducted her in the past.435

Cast

Release

Fréwaka premiered in Switzerland in 2024 at the 77th Locarno Film Festival6, and it premiered in the United States at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival.5

Reception

The film received generally positive reviews. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 26 critics' reviews are positive.7 Tara Brady of The Irish Times rated the film 4 stars out of 5, commenting that it "ambitiously mines Irish mythology and history for socially conscious spookery."4 Guy Lodge of Variety called the film "an expertly conducted atmospheric exercise, with a sharp, harsh understanding of closed rural communities."3 Zachary Lee of the Chicago Reader praised the film's "disquieting mood" and how it "keeps the audience on edge."5

Notes

Notes

  1. The title Fréwaka comes from a word in the Irish language meaning "roots".23
References

References

  1. "Frewaka (2024)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
  2. "Aislinn Clarke on Irish Folk Horror 'Fréwaka': "There's A Lot of Trauma in Ireland"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
  3. "'Fréwaka' Review: A Rattling Irish Horror Film Satisfyingly Blends Folk Traditions With Genre Tropes". Variety. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  4. "Fréwaka review". The Irish Times. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
  5. "Review: Fréwaka". Chicago Reader. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  6. "Fréwaka". Locarno Film Festival. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
  7. "Fréwaka". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
External links