The Toronto After Dark Film Festival takes place from October 17th to the 25th.
At this point, it’s probably easier to count the number of horror movies that don’t have friends heading into the woods who wind up slaughtered, as the premise has quickly become the go-to setup for many horror films. While some say that not all of these movies turn out well, with satisfying endings and memorable kills, the sub-genre unfortunately has the most entries in which the witches in the Woods end up on a high note, if at least nothing else.
A young woman named Sasha Alison, who is fragile and recently accused some of her classmates of sexual assault, is still dealing with the fallout and judgment. Among them, there is a lot of tension and antagonistic feelings, with them being called cheaters, bitches, and dicks. The situation between them is bad enough, but it might get worse with the inclement weather that they might face. When they find themselves stranded with a broken SUV and decreasing temperatures, they quickly insist on taking a sketchy detour. However, the college group of “friends” decides to head into the snowy woods with plans for relaxing and drinking by the fireplace and snowboarding.
The film remains an ambitious idea until the final frames, and while the narrative doesn’t quite congeal with the scenario in the woods, it’s a theme that can be seen as “an idea for a cabin” as Bolton Oxton Robert quotes from Director Christopher Borrelli and Jordan Barker — “Belief” is not just a mere idea but a possession of the mind.
The movie’s performances are actually solid for the most part, but it’s a shame that the unlikable characters lessen its overall enjoyment. The script works overtime to make you dislike the protagonist, who accidentally kills a friend, which happens to be my least favorite horror trope. The numbers of characters dwindle as they constantly find excuses to split up, which is a trap designed to open up the characters to be debilitated by a bear-bearing character that screams “hell no!” This is clearly a disturbed and sick idea, but the one thing that is not there is the road watching. The value of the characters decreases only as their shared vacation turns into constant bickering, leaving viewers annoyed by their mutual way of annoying each other. Unfortunately, everyone is screwed and leaves wondering why these characters would possibly agree to have a vacation together in the first place. The gang of characters leaves the “cabin” here, which is a snow-driven SUV that breaks an axle and drives into a bank.
Despite some stumbling, the film’s ending is mentioned at the top as a satisfying home idea that drives the narrative and conviction. Amid the brightness, there are only two brief bits of dimness, but every bit of others’ antics counters that suspicion. Among them, Jill, played by Kasulka Hannah, is the only relatively smart and engaging one, allowing for a fun and engaging script. The conclusion that she is a witch is obvious, as her behavior begins to grow dangerous and strange, jumping to the collective head of Alison and the others. The madness here is the heart of the story, revealing some of the area’s history, including a gas station stop where a woman accused of supernatural shenanigans, including being burned alive for her supposed crimes, was seen as a trial witch.
It simply cannot overcome a lack of connection for viewers that results in a dependence on completely unpleasant characters and bad decisions, but the movie deserves recognition for trying something new. However, the frustrations and irritations far outweigh their impact, as those two positive aspects are not sufficient justification to recommend watching Witches in the Woods.