It Feeds Review: When Wolves Feast on Sheep’s Clothing

It Feeds opens with a dreamscape that immediately establishes Archibald’s visual language, those signature muted blues bleeding into nightmare territory as therapist Cynthia Winston (Ashley Greene) navigates a horrific vision of caged children and wolf motifs. The production design here is immaculate, with Josh Turpin creating environments that feel both grounded and otherworldly. The wolf imagery isn’t subtle, but it doesn’t need to be when it’s executed with such deliberate precision.

Chad Archibald’s Atmospheric Horror Mastery

“Relax, we’re going to begin.” These opening words of Chad Archibald’s latest psychological horror venture set a tone that’s both therapeutic and deeply unsettling. In It Feeds, Archibald once again demonstrates his mastery of atmospheric dread, weaving together family trauma, supernatural horror, and the dangerous territory between helping and enabling.

What struck me immediately was the sound design. This is essential viewing with headphones; the audio landscape created here elevates every supernatural encounter from standard jump scare to genuinely unnerving experience. When the entity first manifests, Steph Copeland’s score doesn’t just accompany the horror; it becomes part of it, pounding beneath your skin like a second heartbeat.

Ashley Greene Anchors Supernatural Family Drama

Greene delivers a performance that anchors the film’s emotional core. Her Cynthia is a woman wrestling with inherited trauma while operating a clandestine therapy practice with her teenage daughter Jordan. The family dynamic feels authentic – these aren’t movie therapists spouting psychology textbook dialogue, they’re damaged people trying to heal others while barely holding themselves together.

The mother-daughter relationship becomes the film’s soul, particularly when young Riley Harris arrives at their door, claiming an entity is with her. Ellie O’Brien brings genuine terror to Riley’s plight, making her desperation palpable without falling into generic “creepy kid” territory. Her scars tell a story before she even speaks, and the revelation of their true origin becomes one of the film’s most twisted reveals.

Shawn Ashmore’s Randall Harris initially appears as the concerned father, but Archibald peels back layers to reveal something far more complex and disturbing. This isn’t your typical “father protecting daughter” narrative – it’s a study in how trauma can twist love into something monstrous. Ashmore navigates this transformation with unsettling believability, making Randall’s actions feel horrifically logical within his fractured worldview.

Is There an Entity?

The entity itself deserves mention for what it doesn’t do as much as it does. Rather than relying on elaborate CGI spectacle, the creature work here feels tangible and threatening. The practical effects team creates something that exists in the spaces between shadow and substance, making its presence felt through clever cinematography and restraint. When we do see it clearly, Jeff Maher’s cinematography uses strategic vignetting to draw our focus, creating an almost claustrophobic intimacy with the horror.

Black Fawn Films continues its streak of polished genre offerings, though It Feeds occasionally stumbles under its own ambitions. At 110 minutes, the film carries some unnecessary weight, particularly in the repeated ladder imagery that hammers home Jordan’s trauma rather than letting it breathe naturally. The pacing occasionally stutters when it should surge, though the core narrative momentum remains strong enough to carry us through the slower passages.

The film’s exploration of therapy versus “therapy” provides its most interesting thematic territory. Archibald examines how helping others can become a form of self-harm, how good intentions can enable dangerous situations, and how trauma creates cycles that span generations. When Jordan goes rogue to help Riley against her mother’s warnings, we’re watching someone repeat patterns they don’t yet understand.

Julien Richings is a Crowd Favorite… Ok, He’s My Favorite

Julian Richings appears as Dr. Ronald Whittaker, and while his screen time feels criminally brief, he brings gravitas to his exposition-heavy role. His explanation of the entity’s nature and his own professional downfall adds weight to the supernatural elements without overexplaining them. Richings can make even clunky dialogue feel meaningful, and his presence elevates the surrounding material.

The film’s climax descends into familiar possession territory, but Archibald’s execution keeps it engaging. The burial sequence generates genuine claustrophobia, and the final confrontation in the entity’s realm showcases impressive production design. The Gothic warrior aesthetic might feel somewhat disconnected from the grounded therapy practice setting, but the visual impact is undeniable.

Where It Feeds stumbles slightly is in its resolution. The connection between Jordan’s father’s suicide and the supernatural threat feels somewhat tenuous, as if two different trauma narratives are competing for space. The ending provides closure for Jordan’s personal journey, but leaves the larger questions about the entity’s nature and purpose frustratingly vague.

Psychological Terror Trumps Supernatural Spectacle

The film succeeds most when it focuses on the human cost of supernatural horror. This isn’t about defeating evil through religious ritual or ancient knowledge – it’s about confronting the ways trauma transforms both victim and perpetrator. Randall’s basement full of sacrificial victims isn’t just feeding a monster; it’s feeding his desperate need to save his daughter at any cost. The real horror lies in recognizing how easily love can become predation.

Archibald’s visual style remains distinctive throughout, with those characteristic blues and muted tones creating a world that feels perpetually overcast. The production maintains high technical standards across the board, from Mike Gallant and Archibald’s editing to Madi Styles’ costume design that subtly reinforces character dynamics.

The supporting cast, including Juno Rinaldi and Mark Taylor, provides solid grounding for the central family dynamics. Even minor characters like Agatha serve clear narrative functions without feeling purely utilitarian. The film creates a believable community where word travels and everyone has connections to everyone else.

It Feeds works best when it trusts its psychological horror instincts over supernatural spectacle. The scariest moments come from recognizing real-world predatory behavior reflected in supernatural circumstances. This is a film about wolves in sheep’s clothing, about how helping professions can attract those who exploit vulnerability, and about how trauma creates perfect hunting grounds for those who feed on others’ pain.

While not quite reaching the heights of The Oak Room, It Feeds demonstrates Archibald’s continued growth as a filmmaker who understands that effective horror comes from character truth rather than shock value. The film may occasionally lose itself in its own mythology, but it never loses sight of its human core.

Cast & Crew

Written/Directed by Chad Archibald
Starring Ashley Greene, Shawn Ashmore, Ellie O’Brien, Juno Rinaldi, Julian Richings, Mark Taylor, Shayelin Martin, Brooklyn Marshall
Director of Photography Jeff Maher
Production Designer Josh Turpin
Original Score Steph Copeland
Distribution Black Fawn Films/Productivity Media (Vicious Fun and Death Valley)

It Feeds was provided as a screener for editorial purposes. Get more on Mother of Movies.

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It Feeds is rated
4 wolves in sheep’s clothing are wolves nonetheless, out of 5

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It Feeds

Director: Chad Archibald

Date Created: 2025-04-18 16:55

Editor's Rating:
4