Written and directed by MK Kopp, from a story by John MacCallum and her, The Witchening begins with Jeanie (Penelope Martone) telling her babysitter, Kate (Kiarra Hamagami Goldberg), about witches. Specifically, due to witches dancing in the front yard, grass does not grow there. Kate dismisses the story as just a folktale and puts the child to bed. Kate’s boyfriend, Jakob (Hunter Romanillos), comes over, and as the two are discussing what to watch, something startles them. Then another spooky thing happens. Is the Bone Witch real or did the story just unsettle Kate more than she realized?
The Bone Witch leers out of the darkness in The Witchening.
“Is the Bone Witch real or did the story just unsettle Kate more than she realized?”
At just 7 minutes and 53 seconds, the movie is far better and creepier than most big studio affairs lately (looking at you, Talk To Me, so disappointing). The lighting is great, instantly creating a chilling atmosphere. The story of the Bone Witch sounds like an urban legend that little kids tell to spook each other. The make-up on the witch when she does appear is creepy-looking. Goldberg is really good as the scared babysitter. Martone recites the legend of witches with confidence.
The Witchening is a frightening little tale. It is well directed, atmospheric, and acted well. It manages to be scarier and more engrossing than a lot of what passes for horror in theaters these days. Kopp and company should be very pleased with what they accomplished here; audiences will be, for certain.
"…a frightening little tale."
