The Sisterhood of Night

This movie really hits one in the gut! I thought it was so simply and understatedly beautiful. There was no pretense in this film. I just can't tell how it snuck up upon me and brought out this rich story of unconditional and uncompromising love! Wow! I thought this would a be a good late night B movie thriller. To my surprise I was captivated within the first ten minutes and just couldn't walk away. If there were ever a movie to present the dangers of hurting others out of fear, envy, and pride...this one does this trick. Not only does the message ring true as timely, but this story will most assuredly become timeless. What is done in darkness will come to light. Truth will set one free and on and on. I found more than one sell-able moments that would teach young and old the valued meaning of solidarity unwavering! Check this one out if you have teens or young adults in the home. Sometimes these films get it right and this one is bang on! Get your tissue box ready for the feelings to resonate under director Caryn Waechter and this precious cast of actors! No doubt one of the best beautifully filmed stories of humanity and strength of the persevering spirit.

Generally well-made, well-filmed, strong performances across the board, and the story tells you enough to keep you interested until the very end. Yes the story is a bit histrionic in it's emotional thrust, but I would say it is very true to it's teenage age group in that regard, when in that age in life, small things appear to be the end of the world. For the most part, these girls come across as real people, and not caricatures as in so many other teenage films such as: Mean Girls, Easy A, and the majority of the 1980's and 1990's(I like all of these films as well fyi) teenage films where the teen villains are always generally painted as one sided. Here the "villains" are just normal people who are scared or jealous, and most of the time, don't actually want to cause real harm. It delves into #metoo territory before #metoo was really a thing, this was made in 2014. This movie was what I thought the disappointing and morally bankrupt "The Falling" would be.

There are a great deal of coming of age films, and this one stands out among them as not being afraid to show the ugly side, without reveling in it. So many teenage films either gloss over some of the struggles, or just outright glorify them. This film straddles that line, it shows both the highs and lows. It gives a picture of a group of girls who rise above the trivial and petty nature of teenage girls and find a true bond that few girls ever find. It shows how people can feel threatened by those who have found happiness outside of what is normal. It show why people might do things because they want that same connection, and try to destroy the connection of those they are jealous of.

What if you had a group of friends that you knew you could trust to never say anything about your worst secrets? How far would you go to protect that bond? This is a deeply philosophical movie about the importance of having good relationships with people that you can trust, as opposed to people who merely flatter you. It is a movie about not being understood, but being allowed to just be. "Modsommar" actually explores a very similar theme, but that film takes it even further, and with a lot of grotesque scenes, but this film achieves the same overall effect, without leaving you feeling dirty and gross. If you don't mind teenage movies with emotionally teenagers, you might find a lot to like, otherwise, avoid.

~Amy

In my opinion, there can never be enough movies made about the conflicting years of adolescence, a period where those cute and adorable children we intend to raise into perfect and responsible adults all of a sudden start rebelling, biting the very hands that feed them. They turn into strangers, who question everything, alienating the very adults who nurtured them, causing pain and misunderstandings that tragically often outlast this brief unsettling period in our lives. The strength of this movie is the exceptional visuals, great soundtrack, excellent casting and a script adapted to the "nowness" of media influence - altogether a great film by the new promising director, Caryn Waechter.

Just saw a film festival showing with the director and writer in attendance for a q&a. This is a difficult film to label, the trailer might suggest a 'mean girls as witches' storyline as in The Craft, but this is not a horror flick, there's no supernatural element. It's about female friendships and being true to oneself, there are familiar high school themes of peer pressure, popularity, a dash of cyber bullying, but thankfully none of these are pressed too hard, so it never devolves to a dreary message movie.

You could say the plot uses The Crucible as a rough template, but best to discover the specifics for yourself. The director has a great visual sense, and Georgie Henley is a real find as the lead character Mary Warren, she has a natural charisma and commands every scene she's in. Maybe there are one or two obligatory plot turns, but overall the narrative unfolds in surprising ways and lands with real emotional punch. The director said it will be available on video on demand in April 2015. Worth seeking out.

Absolute masterpiece of a movie. Films like this rarely come along. The ending of this film is up there among the best.