Film fans ‘100% recommend’ the Irish horror thriller that is now on Netflix
Hannah McGreevy, Assistant Editor for Screen Time
15:32, 01 May 2026
Douglas Booth and Hannah John-Kamen star in the film(Image: Warner Bros)
A ‘gripping’ Irish thriller starring actors from Derry Girls and Happy Valley has landed on Netflix.
The horror film, directed by Jon Wright, first debuted in 2022 and holds a 67% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie stars Happy Valley actress Hannah John-Kamen, The Sandman’s Douglas Booth, Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn and Derry Girls icon Jamie-Lee O’Donnell.
The synopsis for the film reads: “Married couple Maya and Jamie escape their urban nightmare to the tranquility of rural Ireland only to discover malevolent and murderous goblins lurking in the gnarled, ancient wood at the foot of their new garden.”
A familiar face from Happy Valley stars(Image: Warner Bros)
Unwelcome is an Irish folk horror that has received mixed to positive reviews from critics.
The movie, which takes place in both London and Ireland, promises a lot of shocking twists and turns.
Several horror fans took to the comments section of Rotten Tomatoes to share their thoughts, with one calling it “excellent” and another insisting they “100% recommend” the film.
One person said: “Went in blind after it was suggested that I do so. Was fantastic, actually gripping at points. A weird mix of serious and absolute nonsense carnage. Loved it.
Another agreed: “This is great! Not your Gremlins or Critters silly creature feature. This one’s got some bite. Loved the ending. Really well done!”
A third added: “Absolutely underrated awesome folk horror Irish Straw Dogs, awesome horror thriller with an awesomely bloody ending. And the production quality was very nice.”
Another praised it as the best horror film of the year, saying: “Hands down, one of the best horror flicks of 2023. Horror is my favorite genre and this movie stands out as a top for me now.”
One more teased: “Seriously underrated film. A little dark, a little twisted, a lot hilarious. I didn’t know what to expect as I hadn’t seen a trailer or read anything about it but what I got was a home invasion with a twist.”
A familiar face from Derry Girls stars(Image: Netflix)
Others specifically compared the film to the late David Bowie’s 1986 film Labyrinth, with one writing: “Took me right back to practical effects classics like Labyrinth, but with much more violence and gore. It’s basically the same story, but in Ireland, and with blood. 100% recommend!”
Another concurred: “Far more effective than I expected, Unwelcome succeeds at bringing the old ways to life on screen with a terrifying twist on home invasion tropes. The human actors really deliver complex, realistic and layered characters. The monsters are best seen with the kind of grace one would give the creatures in classic films like David Bowie’s Labyrinth.”
However, not everyone was a fan, with one person writing: “Really inconsistent storyline and somewhat ridiculous supernatural elements that are at times (I think) unintentionally comical, but it’s just so bizarre that it keeps your attention regardless.”
“Bit too cold for something so goofy, doesn’t lean into the camp…” a second complained, as a third remarked: “An odd film which swaps between boring and silly with its relatively straightforward plot of Irish folklore.”
Unwelcome is streaming now on Netflix.
