'The Calling Witch' Review
Image Source: Horror Fuel
Welcome to the woods! May all your nightmares come true!
The best kinds of movies are films that are entirely off your radar, and you just find your way to them. No preconceived notions or expectations, just surprise and suspicion. Enter The Calling Witch, a new indie horror film from director Mark Wilson. The story is relatively simple, which works to its advantage. One night, author Merideth Laye goes into the woods and kills herself. In the aftermath, her daughter, Lydia, reads a storybook to her little brother. The storybook, also called The Calling Witch, was written and illustrated by their late mother. When the witch, who they thought only existed in the book, tries to wreak havoc on their lives, Lydia and her brother Edward must do whatever they can to survive.
I’ve never been one who's been interested in separating movies into indies and studio films. I think a great movie is a great movie regardless of where it comes from. There are great studio horror films, and there are not-so-great ones. There are great indie horror films, and there are bad indie horror films. Thankfully, The Calling Witch is one of the good indie horror films. While it may not reinvent the wheel of horror films and witch stories, it’s not trying to. Instead, The Calling Witch is a remarkable showcase of the talents in front of and behind the camera, who hopefully all go on to do great work in the future.
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Image Source: IMDb
The best part about The Calling Witch is how it’s a damn-near perfect marriage of directorial, acting, and musical talent. Mark Wilson comes into this film with the directing prowess of a pro. Wilson’s direction perfectly balances the horror sequences with the emotional depth without ever sacrificing one over the other. Wilson works in tandem with cinematographer Thomas Rose. The dazzling visuals and the subtle speed of the camera ensure there is not a single dull moment. The thing about The Calling Witch that makes it so engaging is that, despite the screenplay's simplicity (written by Chris Retts), Mark Wilson ensures that everyone and everything work together to elevate it. He makes sure the audience gets everything they need to be hooked by the emotional drama before he gets us with the horror sequences. Should Wislon make more and bigger features in the future, he’s more than capable of doing so.
The performances here are also spectacular, with the standout being Danika Golombek as Lydia. Her second collaboration with Mark Wilson, Golombek makes Lydia a sympathetic lead beyond being a standard final girl. A young woman who dreams of being a writer in New York, Lydia is the heart and soul of the film. Golobek’s performance rises to the occasion, bringing the story's emotional moments to life. This is helped by her scene with Grayson Eddey and Marcus DeAnda, who give great performances of their own. Nathalie Söderqvist also delivers a fabulous performance as the titular witch. A major shout-out is in order for composer Jacob Boyd. Boyd’s musical score is instantly chilling and memorable, and hopefully gets a release of its own down the road.
All in all, The Calling Witch is an incredibly solid indie horror film that sports confident direction, a memorable musical score, and compelling performances. It makes the best of its 90-minute runtime to deliver a horror film that is as emotionally investing as it is scary. The amount of passion and heart in front of and behind the camera is admirable, and hopefully, everyone involved gets to make more horror movies in the future. I wasn’t aware of the works of Mark Wilson, Danika Golombek, and Jacob Boyd, but I’m very much aware now.
Rating: 8/10
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