Duas Bruxas - A Herança Diabólica

TWO WITCHES is the kind of modern indie horror that inevitably leaves me cold. It's low budget, small scale and entirely predictable, featuring a bland young cast who find themselves assailed by a couple of old-fashioned witches. The story is so limited that the first half cuts off to introduce a whole new milieu in the second. As with a lot of these modern films, this one's overdirected to the hilt, with OTT transitions and camera effects to try to make it scary, but of course it doesn't work. Add in some gurning actors and a few nasty moments and you have something that doesn't even come close to horror.

"Two Witches" follows two different women in semi-overlapping stories who are targeted by an aging witch attempting to utilize them for two different reasons.

This directorial debut by Pierre Tsigaridis is a ghoulish romp from start to finish, replete with disturbing imagery and some effective scenes of violence. While it does virtually nothing to reinvent the wheel, the film does utilize the tropes of the witch-themed films of the '60s an '70s fairly effectively, and at its best, offers some haunting visual compositions and noble attempts at tying these two stories together. Despite some press and reviews I've read, it is really not an anthology film, as each story overlaps the other; the common denominator is the nefarious witch each woman encounters.

While I appreciate what the filmmakers attempted to do in terms of grafting these two tales into a single film, the execution is at times not the most graceful, and some of the editing choices (specifically an overuse of flashy jump cuts and blackouts) feel maladroit and overdone. The film is replete with homages to a number of classic horror films, with the first entry tipping its hat to "Rosemary's Baby" in more ways than one; the second story, which is perhaps slightly more engaging than the first, has more than a few visual nods to Dario Argento's "Suspiria", specifically the ornate and gothic bedroom chamber of the film's villainous witch, which heavily resembles that featured in "Suspiria".

Although the film's second story stumbles in its conclusion with a handful of narrative gaps that lack clarity, the segment overall is bolstered by a nervy, deranged performance from Rebekah Kennedy that really stands out. Kristina Klebe (known to genre fans for her role in Rob Zombie's "Halloween" remake) is also a nice presence, though her role is not especially substantial here.

Overall, while "Two Witches" is not a revelatory piece, it is truly entertaining, and offers enough standout visuals to keep genre fans engaged. While the weaving together of the two-part story doesn't fully land, I appreciate what the filmmakers were attempting to do here. Despite its lack of connective tissue, it is certainly one of the better indie horror movies I've seen in awhile. 6/10.

Easily one of the strongest horror offerings this year. A strong first outing for director Pierre Tsigaridis that is bolstered by solid practical effects, a fantastic score and delightfully eerie performances from Marina Parodi and, break-out star, Rebekah Kennedy (whose performance will HAUNT you.) The remaining cast are authentic and believable in their performances.

The film is dripping with atmosphere and mood. It knows exactly what its trying to do and is unapologetic in achieving its goals. The scares are well earned and at times deeply unsettling.

This film is a fresh breath of life in a genre that, at times stagnates. Do not miss it.

Put this on fot a 2nd watch because I remember the other year putting it on and leaving it in background as I thought it started bit flat then got sucked in at end. It does feel low budget at first but has some great effects for spooky witchy scenes. I also like the guy barging in at end. Thump. Though this didn't all end how I remembered & it says to be continued and would've liked a part 2 or this to be longer film and completed. There was the odd character U would've liked left in for a face off. Yes the girl playing marsha is good at being super creepy & annoying. She has really angular features to give off that pointy witch possessed look. Its problem is it doesnt mix the chapters together properly I just j Goes off key jumping incohesively to something else. I would've liked to see this run & intricated together a lot better. Theres no denying though they did a excellent job on all the witches appearance for a low budget.. bigger budget with better weaved and fleshed out story & they could've had a blockbuster. Ive not checked if they ever brought out a part 2 but they should because its left open & I would be interested in seeing the next chapters as it ends where it looks like there's about to be something big happening.

There's a lot to like with this film. There's some great cinematography, some genuinely scary moments and performances (I'm of course talking primarily about Rebekah Kennedy in Chapter II). Props to the practical effects and the CGI too because it works well, considering the budget likely being quite low.

It's not quite an anthology, but split up into halves, plus an epilogue. Which is not wholly unique but also not utilized often. This style mostly works, even if it feels slightly disjointed.

It isn't a perfect film however. It overstays its welcome by a little - I think because it is almost like two separate films, the length feels longer than it actually is. Then there is the frenetic editing reminiscent of early Saw films in a few scenes.

Overall I'd recommend this movie for genre fans. It's a very watchable indie horror effort. I would definitely watch a sequel, which the ending alludes to.