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Kindred

Play trailer 2:12 Poster for Kindred 2020 1h 41m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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70% Tomatometer 77 Reviews 51% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
When her boyfriend Ben suddenly dies in an accident, mother-to-be Charlotte (Tamara Lawrance, Steve McQueen's Small Axe: Education) collapses upon receiving the news. She wakes up in Ben’s family home, a crumbling old manor house in the middle of nowhere with Ben’s overbearing mother, Margaret (Fiona Shaw, "Killing Eve"), and his controlling stepbrother, Thomas (Jack Lowden, Dunkirk). They are determined to care for her, at least until the baby arrives. Grief-stricken and increasingly haunted by visions possibly brought on by the pregnancy, Charlotte accepts their help. But as the days go by and her visions intensify, she begins to doubt the family's intentions and her suspicions grow that they may be trying to control her and her unborn baby.
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Kindred

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Critics Consensus

Kindred's naturalistic approach may frustrate viewers seeking jump scares, but this psychologically driven horror story casts its own grim spell.

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Critics Reviews

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Steve Rose Guardian Jul 2, 2021
3/5
It's Shaw who steals the show, conveying her character as both a heartless monster and a woman haunted by her own past, with that kind of breathy, distracted haughtiness she does so well. Go to Full Review Kevin Maher The Times (UK) Jun 28, 2021
2/5
This could have been the British Get Out, or at least a brutal dissection of class politics with added jump scares. Yet the novice director and co-writer Joe Marcantonio never moves beyond suggested ideas and themes... Go to Full Review Tim Robey Daily Telegraph (UK) Jun 24, 2021
3/5
By turning its heroine's confinement into a literal ordeal, Kindred grips best as a neo-Victorian nightmare of maternity. Go to Full Review Emma-Jane Betts The Digital Fix Jul 25, 2023
2/5
With an overreliance on classical music and loud sound effects for jump scares, and the strange decision to keep its female-centric themes at arm’s length, unfortunately, Kindred just isn’t all that scary. Go to Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies Aug 22, 2022
4/5
It all culminates in a chilling final act that is remarkably restrained (like the bulk of the film) and perfectly fitting. Go to Full Review Cate Young Thirty, Flirty + Film Nov 5, 2021
Kindred was terrifying to watch because it was marked not by force or physical violence but continued and unending gaslighting. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Thea C @RT13659009 Nov 14, 2025 oops, haven't seen this See more Logan D @Greynomad38 Oct 27, 2025 After her baby daddy dies, Charlotte (Tamara Lawrence) finds herself trapped in his mother's house. A slow-burning psychological horror with strong performances and a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere. The story builds unease effectively, though some plot beats feel familiar. Worth watching for its mood and character focus, even if it doesn’t fully break new ground. It would've been better served as a one hour tv show. Certainly has shades of Turn of the Screw. See more Melissa L @Agent99 Aug 24, 2025 I had seen this twice because I didn't remember much of it. It's eerie, and well-acted. I didn't like how she was treated, but I guess it worked out in the end. This is adapted from a book, but I haven't read it. See more Grady H @Grady714 Feb 2, 2024 Genuinely frightening, believable in its descent into a hopeless situation, and a stellar and memorable performance from the ever-reliable Fiona Shaw! See more Zac @tferguson218 Aug 5, 2023 Meh, gaslighting and paranoia overdone. See more Dec 24, 2021 Oooh this is good. Our highly talented director Joe Marcantonio shows familial coercion and abuse is of course way more terrifying than any number of jump scares or ancient tales of demons in masks. Tamara Shaw is our unfortunate victim , playing subtly enough to make us wonder occasionally if she is the victim at all .The dependable Fiona Shaw is the unhinged mother in law from hell (quite literally so when she loses her temper), and operating in tandem with the slimy and sinister Jack Lowden,they cut off all available escape routes. Heartbreakingly ,and inevitably, it seems no authority figure is riding to the rescue ( I would have loved more screen time for Anton Lesser as Dr. Richards ) . A bonus is a tantalisingly gruesome back story ( and if no more Dr or MIL screen time was available ,this would have been a neat diversion) as well as a brief homage to Hitchcock too. If you get sick of your own family at Christmas try this one. See more Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Joe Marcantonio

Director

Fiona Shaw

Margaret

Tamara Lawrance

Charlotte

Jack Lowden

Thomas

Edward Holcroft

Ben

Chloe Pirrie

Jane

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Kindred

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Kindred

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Movie Info

Synopsis When her boyfriend Ben suddenly dies in an accident, mother-to-be Charlotte (Tamara Lawrance, Steve McQueen's Small Axe: Education) collapses upon receiving the news. She wakes up in Ben’s family home, a crumbling old manor house in the middle of nowhere with Ben’s overbearing mother, Margaret (Fiona Shaw, "Killing Eve"), and his controlling stepbrother, Thomas (Jack Lowden, Dunkirk). They are determined to care for her, at least until the baby arrives. Grief-stricken and increasingly haunted by visions possibly brought on by the pregnancy, Charlotte accepts their help. But as the days go by and her visions intensify, she begins to doubt the family's intentions and her suspicions grow that they may be trying to control her and her unborn baby.
Director
Joe Marcantonio
Producer
Jack Lowden, Dominic Norris
Screenwriter
Joe Marcantonio, Jason McColgan
Distributor
IFC Midnight
Production Co
Serotonin Films, Head Gear Films, Kreo Films FZ, Metrol Technology, Reiver Pictures
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 6, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 6, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA)
$8.7K
Runtime
1h 41m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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