(Warning: Baby spoilers ahead, so proceed with caution!)
Set during the Spanish Inquisition, a bunch of patriarchal oppressors accuse a bunch of women of witchcraft because they were seen dancing in the woods. Despite their denials and the lack of evidence held against them, they are arrested and tortured relentlessly into signing a written confession.
What makes this film so much more terrifying than the average horror flick is the fact that it weaves in and out between the horrors of the supernatural and the horrors of society.
It is the horror of the unknown and the unseen that leaves you on edge, spiralling into deep paranoia just like the men in the film. Of course, witchcraft — used with the intent of harming others — can be terrifying, but men of higher ranks who exploit their powers to belittle and terrorise women who they claim to be of threat to them is just as terrifying!
The women are put through so much unspeakable trauma within the duration of their captivity, which is meant to break them into admitting to a crime they did not commit.
Another terrifying scene featured in this dark and morose film is during the anticipated Witches’ Sabbath ritual. The girls, chained to one another, are asked to dance and demonstrate the ritual under the full moon.
And so they do. And it is…disturbing, to say the least.
Kudos to Pablo Aguero, an Argentine-French filmmaker, for capturing the realistic feel of the Witches’ Sabbath. From the chanting, the dancing, the growling and the animalistic screaming, it leaves the audience feeling unsettled.
It is so believable that I, for one, began wondering if the chants were spells that would invite spirits into my home.
You can watch the trailer below!
https://youtu.be/f5spjUuviok
*Cover image via Room with a View
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