Whilst it might not be quite the Game of Thrones reunion that fans were expecting, The Dreadful does reunite two of its beloved stars in a tale of longing and the bonds of family ties. In theaters, On Demand, and On Digital February 20, 2026, starring Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones series, X-Men: Apocalypse 2016) and Kit Harington (Game of Thrones series, The Beast Within 2024), The Dreadful was written and directed by Natasha Kermani (Lucky 2020, V/H/S/85), based on a Shin Buddhist parable.
Set in the fifteenth century, during the War of the Roses, the film follows Anne (Turner) and her mother Morwen (Marcia Gay Harden: Into the Wild 2007, Renner 2025). Both impoverished and deeply religious, the women await the return of Anne’s soldier husband in the hope that his homecoming will see their fortunes increase. When a man turns up on their doorstep one day, rather than seeing Anne’s husband as they had hoped, Morwen and Anne are greeted by Jago (Harington). An old friend of Anne’s husband, Jago, tells them that he perished in battle.
This devastating news triggers Morwen to go to increasingly violent lengths to try to ensure that her daughter does not remarry. Elsewhere, Anne and Jago realise that they have long harboured romantic feelings for each other. Meanwhile, a mysterious dark figure has begun to appear before Anne, haunting her day and night.
Whilst it is not particularly fair to typecast actors as the long-time characters they might have played, when it comes to a juggernaut show such as Game of Thrones, it cannot be helped, and it would be more obtuse to suggest that audiences will not be aware of that when watching this. With that in mind, and as their previous characters’ relationship as half-siblings, there is an element of Anne and Jago’s romance that always feels slightly uncomfortable. However, that actually works in the film’s favour. Anne is bereaved, her mother doesn’t approve, and the audience is unsure of Jago’s intentions, so having their relationship feel awkward works well thematically.
Elsewhere, there is no doubt that The Dreadful is very atmospheric at times, especially when the action moves further into nature, whether that is on the coast by the crashing waves or under the canopy of the deep woods. Conversely, the Horror element is much less effective. The dark figure that Anne sees should spark some kind of dread or fear, and yet it is merely slightly intriguing.
Overall, The Dreadful works far better as a Historical Drama than as a Psychological Horror film. Great to see Sophie Turner and Kit Harington reunited, as a whole, Cryptic Rock gives The Dreadful 3 out of 5 stars.
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