Moloch

"Moloch" is a Dutch horror movie and that fact alone is a reason for being positive about this movie. Horror movies tend to be expensive due to the needed special effects and that is a risk for a small market as the Dutch one. So all credit for (debuting) director Nico van den Brink, who took this risk.

The horror we see in "Moloch" is based on foik tales. In this respect the film follows the earlier trend in international horror movies such as "The witch" (2015, Robbert Eggers) and "Midsommar" (2019, Ari Aster).

As is usual with folk tales the story has some typical local (in this case Dutch) elements. It is situated in the Northern province of Drenthe, in the peat areas of this province. Dutch gin features prominent in the bars and we can even see the two main characters drinking what is called "a headbutt" (a glass of beer combined with a small glass of Dutch gin). The Dutch girl can handle this better than her Danish companion.

In some reviews it is said that the power of the film is diminished by the fact that the film explains too much. I do not agree. Take for example the title "Moloch". This is a pagan God that is associated with child sacrifices. The victims in the film seem however a lot older. It took me some interpretation to find the underlying logic.

A weak point in my opinion is the fact that the film has both plot elements that are supernatural but also depends on a (pagan) ritual. It never becomes quit clear what the relationship between these two might be. In this sense a film such as "The Wicker man" (1973, Robin Hardy) is much more clear with its choice for the pagan ritual.

Finally I like to call attention to the in my opinion very strong ending. In effect the film is most scary after the climax in stressing the continuity of the cycle. A continuity very observant spectators could already have spotted at the beginning of the movie. In the farmhouse were the main character lives are a lot of family porteraits. Men are however wholy absent from these portraits. To be more specific, these portraits show (for different generations) the grandmother, the mother and the daughter.

This is strictly in the folk horror sub-genre, so don't go in expecting a slash-em-up. It takes a novelistic approach with a handful of characters who make unusual discoveries in a nearby peat bog. It's about 'digging' around for the secrets of the past and the consequences they have for Sallie Harmsen and her family.

Harmsen carries the whole movie and does a fantastic job. Give her more roles! The rest of the cast is good too, my only criticism being Alexandre Willaume's character being a bit boring and unecessary. If you cut his role out of the film entirely, not much would change. The cinematography is excellent and goes for lots of warm colours and coziness which I found refreshing.

The story unfolds slowly and as a result feels a little overlong, but it's a solid tale. It's dual language, which I enjoyed but some people don't like that (up to you). It's classic horror, much more M R James than James Wan. Thrilling? No. Scary? Not really. It's thoughtful and a bit sad. I liked it because it's an actual folk horror that isn't treated like a theme-park ride.

In Director Nico van den Brink's MOLOCH, Betriek (Sallie Harmsen) encounters several strange, inexplicable occurrences, some that threaten her mother's life. Meanwhile, in a nearby bog, ancient bodies are being uncovered by an archaeological team led by Jonas (Alexandre Willaume). These bodies all share something in common that could be related to what's happening to Betriek's family.

Is there a curse on them?

MOLOCH is a very unsettling horror film, full of omens and building dread. The supernatural elements are woven into the story in a believable way that never comes off as absurd. The characters react like real human beings who find themselves in bizarre, dangerous circumstances, not like action heroes.

If you enjoy movies like HEREDITARY, THE WITCH, A DARK SONG, or THE EMPTY MAN then this should be on your watchlist...

Moloch (2022) is a new release from the Netherlands currently available on Shudder. The storyline follows a group of researchers who uncover a fossilized woman tied to a legend near a bog. Shortly after finding the corpse a house near the bog starts having visitors and portions of the legendary story starts happening all around the family in the house. The legend may play out at the family's home if the scientist and family doesn't work together to stop it.

This movie is directed by Nico van den Brink in his directorial debut and stars Sallie Harmsen (Bladerunner 2049), Markoesa Hamer (How to Sell Drugs Online), Edon Rizvanolli (Unwanted), Alexandre Willaume (The Wheel of Time) and Jack Wouterse (Vet Hard).

This movie has several original concepts that I really enjoyed. There are crazy intense throat slash scenes in this like you've never seen before. The storyline reminded me of Rare Exports in some ways. The settings are really beautiful and the dialogue is well written and felt realistic. The acting is solid and the horror elements are well done. The ending is absolutely tremendous. My one complaint is there are several scenes with a child in a basement and acts going on above them where if they showed the acts taking place I believe those scenes could have been even better (those scenes in this reminded me of Black Phone in a way).

Overall this is a solid addition to the horror genre that's worth a viewing. I would score it a solid 7-7.5/10 and recommend giving it a shot.

It's funny how some reviewers write about 'cliches' here...what, in this day and age, hasn't borrowed from the past?

Another funny review was the one who wrote that they might've liked it more if it wasn't in Dutch...i'll let you figure out the humor in that on your own...(btw...there ARE subtitles available if you're watching it with a player that can handle subs. Like a vlc player. Free to download. Great player).

I'm a big fan of taking projects on their own merits...and this one puts a number of classic elements of horror together in a way that, for me, was pleasing... having lived here, in the Netherlands, for over 20 years, it was also very refreshing to see a movie come from here containing some of the 'folksy' dynamics i love so much about this country. Not only was it set here, but it WASn't set in one of the cities...THAT was extremely pleasing.. decent story, well done. Thanks. Hope to see more from the makers of this film...