The Shout

During a cricket match in the English countryside, a mysterious stranger named Cross briefly takes the bat and scores rapidly, before mysteriously disappearing. Later, the stranger reappears and becomes obsessed with the cricketer, eventually revealing a darker, supernatural past and claiming to possess the soul of the cricketer through a magical shout.

The Shout received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who praised its atmospheric tension, surreal imagery, and John Hurt's commanding performance. Some found the narrative convoluted and the ending ambiguous, but many acknowledged its unique and unsettling vision.

• Praised for its unsettling atmosphere and surreal, dreamlike quality.

• John Hurt's intense and memorable performance is a significant highlight.

• Some critics found the plot difficult to follow, with an ambiguous and unsatisfying conclusion.

Google audience: Audience reception is difficult to gauge due to limited publicly available data, but it is generally considered a cult classic with a distinctive, often disturbing, cinematic style.

Grand Prix du Festival International du Film (Jury Prize) at the 1979 Cannes Film Festival.

The distinctive sound of the 'shout' used in the film was created by director Jerzy Skolimowski himself, inspired by a bird call he had heard.