The Book of the Witch

I watched a very interesting film the other night called The Book of the Witch (2024) written and directed by Joshua Sowden through Self Esteem Productions. It's a very original movie with some fantastic acting.

What works: The acting was very good! @krishnasmitha and Danny Parker-Lopes worked very well together as co-workers in the movie. Smitha was very persuasive in her roll as a witch hunter. Another thing I really liked about the movie was that it took your stereotypical witch-pointy hat and all-and made it into something terrifying and believable. You initially look at @onlyalicat in her role as the witch and initially think it's cheesy but she pulls it off in a really terrifying way. The acting is what made this movie also effective.

What doesn't work: I felt like the movie stalled a little right before its cool climactic ending. I wish the movie had gone a more into the witch's origins (the mythology behind the story was very cool) but maybe a more about what drove Smitha's character. Those ideas were explained effectively enough but I think it was a little more room to expand. Overall though, those are small issues I have but they don't hurt my overall positive review.

The Book of the Witch is a great movie for anyone who loves movies about witches! The acting is quality, the "showing, not telling" approach was very good, and the witch herself was very terrifying!

Verdict on The Book of the Witch Recap

The movie follows a security guard who is haunted by something from her past. She is investigating a supernatural connection which leads her down a path and confronting the same entity which haunts her.

Best Parts

The movie uses the haunted soul hunting for answers to drive the story forward. We get two people who are alone in the world and must overcome their demons to solve the problem. Along with the witches' presence being more open and haunting, it makes things feel more terrifying in places.

Worst Parts

The location is strange with a large part of the movie being set in a large, abandoned building in the middle of the city. It works at times but also can feel a bit more out of place too.

Final Thoughts -The Book of the Witch creates a compelling mystery.

I applaud the producers for making a quality movie like this without all the money and resources of studios.

This is an interesting film with solid acting and cinematic flourishes. The film is limited by its few number of locations and actors, but at under 75 minutes in length, it is not too much of a handicap. Much of the film takes place on one floor of a deserted office building in LA. This is my only complaint. It does betray the budget of the film.

The characterization of the witch, living in modern times is excellent! Her California high desert setting is perfect for the witch to work.

The plot starts off well enough, however, the actual back and forth between the witch and the protagonist Victoria was a little hard to follow. I had to rewind several times to get the story right.

Otherwise, Bravo to the team that brought this minor horror gem to light!

I really enjoyed this film, excellent photography, editing and colour grading. Scary as hell, kept me on the edge of my seat. The lead actress was very easy on the eye too. Great performances. Highly recommend. It goes to show what you can do with small budgets. Films like this are a testament to quality micro-budgets and proves good acting, pacing and story makes it possible for any filmmaker to achieve great heights if you plan correctly. Reminiscent of 'The Ring' and 'The Hills Have Eyes'. And if you're a fan of occult movies then this is one to watch out for also. Really looking forward to see what this tram comes up with next!

The acting was on point! The chemistry between the 2 leads was great. The witch was creepy asf and she also did an amazing job of humanizing something we usually deem evil. The visuals and score and audio were great as well.

The story was something any of us can get behind. A healthy fear of death, someone we care about deeply, a moral compass, a price we are willing to pay for something we THINK we really want. I think the majority of people have all of these traits and I think this movie does a great job of showcasing the eb and flow between all of them. The Book of the Witch is definitely one that shouldn't be slept on.