Red Riding

Redelle Riding’s (Victoria Tait) mother Scarlet (Sam Banks-Copping) overdose and squalid death leave her in the hands of London’s social services. Her only living relative is her half-forgotten grandmother Penelope (Lynsey Beauchamp) who lives in a large Scottish estate, to where Red is packed off.

Arriving there Red is welcomed though there’s a hint of resentment when Penelope says that her mother should never have left. The huge estate is managed by groundskeeper Malcolm (Bill Fellows) whose happy enough to pass on family history and that the family have been there for 200 years.

Red is very much a fish out of water in the estate and the surrounding area. It’s nothing she’s used to and being addressed as Milady doesn’t help. What also soon dawns on the viewer is that they are in classic family secrets territory with strange goings on in and around the house, forest and village.

A cycle ride to the village only arouses more suspicions when Red notices the many missing people posters around the place. At school, her ballet teacher comments on her mother’s copious use of drugs at the time and fragile mental state.

There aren’t too many surprises in Red Riding with writer Peter Stylianou and debut feature director Craig Conway, concentrating on the folk horror tropes of weird places and people. The staid pace of the film should’ve allowed for the development of tension and dread but there’s precious little of that.

But there is a turn towards out and out horror when more details come to light regarding Red’s mother’s life before she left the estate. And later on, when Red herself is targeted.

There is the local wolf legend and various folk-tales and myths are referenced though it feels half-hearted with the intricacies of the family’s line, social status and descendants much more interesting.

Red Riding had its world premiere at FrightFest Glasgow March 2026.