A lonely little girl named Scarlet invents a kindly witch in the woods, to be her best friend. But whether or not the witch is imaginary or kindly is up to you to decide.
In F.C Rabbath’s Scarlet’s Witch, little Scarlet and her father live in an average suburban town. For all intents and purposes, the two seem to have an idyllic life. Obviously something happened to Scarlet’s mother, but there’s no need to suspect that anything bad occurred, since both father and child seem as normal as can be.
The only problem is that Scarlet is very shy and, as such, feels lonely, alienated and is convinced that none of the neighborhood children understand her. Scarlet’s father always suggests that Scarlet try to make friends, but poor Scarlet seems to have no luck in that regard. And so Scarlet continues on her own, with her only happiness arriving in the evenings, when she can pester her father into reading her the fairy tales she loves.
One day, Scarlet ventures into the woods to see what she can see, and suddenly hears her name called. Following the voice, Scarlet comes upon a beautiful cottage hidden among the trees and, shortly thereafter, sees a figure huddled deep inside a dark cape and hood…
Scarlet’s Witch is described as a fantasy, adult fairy tale, but that hardly scratches the surface of this enticing mystery-thriller. What’s very interesting about Rabbath’s tale is that no matter how fantastic the magic within, everything that transpires is believable.
Much of this is due to brilliant acting, and Rabbath’s tight writing. But credibility also comes about with fascinating, well-crafted characters that swap ages and identities as seamlessly as life itself. Interestingly, Rabbath utilizes three actors to play Scarlet, and it’s barely detectable. What’s also unique is that in virtually every crevice of Scarlet’s Witch, multiple interpretations are not only possible, but are highly plausible.
On a more personal level, I have this to share: In 2013, I reviewed another feature by F.C. Rabbath called Listen. I thought that Listen was a highly provocative thriller that touched upon something that was both frightening and tangible. One year later, through the luck of the draw (since review-assignments at Film Threat tend to be random), I have the great opportunity of reviewing yet another feature by this talented and versatile filmmaker. Whether magic or something else is at play here, it does give me pause.
All I can say is try to see Scarlet’s Witch, and definitely keep your eye on F.C. Rabbath, a filmmaker sure to go far in the very competitive film industry.
This film was submitted for review through our Submission for Review system. If you have a film you’d like us to see, and we aren’t already looking into it on our own, you too can utilize this service.
