Witch movies rarely do it for me. I liked The VVitch as a murky, Hawthorne-inspired period piece, but in contrast with its hype as one of the scariest and best horror flicks of the new millennium, I found the whole affair rather predictable, if not downright arduous, and patently un-spooky (apart from Black Philip’s metamorphosis, which was bitchin’).

I’d say there have been at least 20 found-footage flicks since Blair Witch that were both better and freakier (Hell House LLC, Rec and V/H/S/2, for starters). And I thought the biggest mistake of the Insidious series (which could have been great!) was abandoning the Darth Maul Demon narrative in favor of that tired old bag who had it in for Patrick Wilson.

My excuse is that I find the paranormal (ghoulies, ghosts and witches) wholly implausible. This makes it unrelatable, and therefore psychologically ineffective. I’m not saying this is completely logical, but I mention it as it seems to be a predicament I share with at least a few other horror fans. 

Which is why I think it’s worth mentioning in presenting Marianne, a very standard (i.e., witchy) witch story that I just happened to swallow hook, line and sinker stick, knob and straw.

 

GRADE: B+ / A-