Irish supernatural classic The Outcasts weaves a dreamlike spell of folklore and magic - Cult Movies

For decades, The Outcasts has lain generally unloved and almost forgotten. Despite being a fascinating slice of supernatural cinema, it seemed to have been consigned forever to some locked filing cabinet in the dustiest corner of Irish cinema history.

That’s a real shame because director Robert Wynne-Simmons’s wistful and almost dreamlike tale of folklore, magic and outsiders in pre-famine Ireland is a strange and beguiling piece that deserves to be seen by a much wider audience than first experienced it on its original release.

The current fascination with folklore in the horror and fantasy genre suggests this is a key text that’s crying out for a little critical reappraisal.

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It garnered a certain amount of coverage on its original release and it performed well at a variety of European film festivals in 1982, winning awards in both Brussels and Geneva, but after a very limited cinema run it received just a muted video release in 1983 and a single screening on Channel 4 the following year. After that, nothing.

The Outcasts, it seemed, was destined to drift off into the twilight world of cinematic obscurity recalled only by film historians with long memories and those who champion the darker crevices of our cultural heritage. Until now that is.

The BFI, as part of their admirable Flipside imprint which seeks to revive long forgotten gems from the cinema archives, have released The Outcasts on Blu-ray with an array of revealing extras and bonus materials that finally allow it to enjoy some of the critical acclaim it so richly deserves.

It’s the story of a forced marriage in 19th century small town Ireland between Breda (Brenda Scallon) and Eamon (Máirtín Ó Flaithearta). The sound of a distant fiddle played by an enigmatic and good looking stranger called Scarf Michael (Mick Lally) soon breaks up the festivities and when this “wild and ungodly man” takes Maura (Mary Ryan), a near mute farm girl, for his lover a series of unfortunate events begin to unfold in the community.

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Before long the blame for everything that’s been happening in this small and superstitious area is shouldered firmly by the young Maura who is accused of being a witch and despite the best efforts of her father (Don Foley) and the local priest (Paul Bennett) a mob moves in to kill her.

Taking inspiration from WB Yeats and William Blake and boasting a folksy charm all of its own, The Outcasts is an often whimsical and slow burning viewing experience but in the hands of writer and director Wynne-Simmons, who also penned The Blood On Satan’s Claw that was the subject of this column just a week or two back, it becomes a fascinating study in folk horror that weaves a weird and wonderful atmosphere from start to finish.

Acclaimed as the first Irish feature film in 50 years when it first appeared in 1982, this Blu-ray edition offers up a splendid 2K restoration of the film by the Irish Film Institute and a whole range of enticing extras that include an interview with the director and a new audio commentary from folklore historian Dr Diane A Rodgers.

Strange but beautiful, it’s a thrill to see The Outcasts return once more.