The Calling Witch

What happens next will definitely raise some fright fan eyebrows, as the movie suddenly starts making moves found not only in the suspense movie playbook, but also from the top shelf of family drama. But just when you wonder if this will be more of a Hitchcockian exercise with watered-down blood, something really scary happens. And then something scarier. And then you realize that all of this dramatic building and suspense tiptoeing has served to create a huge lake of horror that you sink to the bottom of. This goes beyond slow-burn or “quiet” horror; this is a whole new architecture of fear, better built horror for the future. I was so impressed with how everything came together when it was wrapping up.

The only thing I was wishing at that point was that it went just a little darker at the end, just a little bit. It was at that point that The Calling Witch went a lot darker, and I was so happy, especially when my heart started beating again.

“…one of the strongest scary movies yet…”

It is no accident that The Calling Witch will remind you of a good Stephen King novel, as this lights the same matches he used to set pop literature on fire when I was a kid in the 70s. Right away, it puts in the character-building work that King would use to make you identify and root for the characters, instead of just presenting paper dolls, waiting for them to be torn up, like a lot of horror. King’s masterful control of atmosphere building and tone variation is also present, helped by Wilson’s expert directing that works the variety of emotional levels like a beat producer on a mixing board. And because of all this careful arrangement of a believable reality, when the darkness intrudes, it is extra frightening, just like King. It isn’t so much a formula as it is a fine instinct for excellent storytelling that is on display here. And what a display!

The cinematography by Thomas Rose is true elegance, finding the most intricate ways of decorating the frame. The house in the forest, with all of its intricacies, is rich with possibilities, and Rose cashes in on all of them. Even more jaw-dropping are the interior visuals, as Rose’s compositions are filled with the amazing production design by Lilit Pilikian and stunning art direction by Ladini Wallace. If a human could overdose on stained glass windows and gorgeous lamps, I would have been found blue in the corner, with my dead finger frozen on the pause button. If you have an uncontrollable urge to see what the future of horror feels like running down your spine, go find The Calling Witch.