User reviews

All references to the crucible aside this is not that. It has nothing to do with the theme of the crucible and the pressure of that closed off community. This is the story of a bunch of 15 year olds who destroy a town and everyone in it because they're cold blooded sociopaths. Maybe the feminist narrative is to call that empowered or a story of how teenagers girls relate to each other in a real way but it's not. These are girls who grow up to be serial killers. They are literally the manifestation of pure evil. I really can't understand why anyone who's seen this movie says they can relate to these girls unless they see themselves as sociopaths to too. And who knows maybe they do. I think they should have set the movie in 1975 Cambodia and had the girls join the Khmer Rouge to wage genocide on their schoolmates. Or maybe 1935 Germany where they grow up to be guards at Auschwitz. Either way I'm sure someone will claim it's a feminist epistle.

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

"Everything that happens here stays between the three of us. You have my vow of silence."

This is just a simple movie. The kind that gets the label "weekend movie" pinned on. Not that it was so bad, but it wasn't impressive stuff either. It's a contemporary sketch of how a seemingly innocuous post on a blog can start an unprecedented smear campaign, in which the allegations take disproportionate forms. Before you know it terms such as occult sect and lesbian sex-goddesses are abundantly being used. In the end it's just a circle of close friends. A bunch of teen girls jumping around in the woods at night, sharing their deepest secrets with each other. Of course the biased and gullible inhabitants of Kingston resolutely interpret this in a whole different way. It looks like a modern version of medieval witch tribunals.

It's all about Mary Warren (Georgie Henley), a charismatic girl who decides to wrap herself in the sound of silence after a collision with fellow student Emily Parris (Kara Hayward). Together with two other girlfriends Catherine (Willa Cuthrell) and Lavinia (Olivia DeJonge) she forms "The sisterhood". A mysterious and secret covenant you can only join through a personal invitation. This little groups obtains over time a renowned reputation, with the result that almost all teens crave to receive an invitation. Likewise, the jealous Parris, a blog writer without any followers (except herself). The day she makes up a shocking story about "The Sisterhood" and posts this on her blog, her virtual reputation increases and gets a multitude of followers, while the reputation of the secret alliance goes in the wrong direction. However, the members abide by their oath they've made, which feels as if they plead guilty.

At first sight you might assume there's indeed something occult going on. The way Mary gazes sometimes, looks kind of demonic. And yet it's no horror. It's a successful portrait of how unfounded allegations take on a life of their own, leading to a hysterical reaction of parents and other residents. Turns out later the end result is tragic. It's creepy to see how much influence social media have nowadays and how teenagers deal with this. Willingly and unwillingly. The moment the members of the secret club distance themselves from these modern media, they are suddenly seen as otherworldly.

No horror, but a film about misunderstandings and misunderstood teenagers with their own individual and family problems, who are looking for a place in society. "The sisterhood of the night" is an average movie that rises barely above average. It's not the acting, because this wasn't so bad. Maybe it was because the acting felt unnatural and far fetched sometimes. Especially the two protagonists Henley and Hayward. I had the impression they really did their best to play the "bitch". The most successful part (but also a limited one) was provided by Kal Penn as the guidance counselor Gordy Gambhir, who tries to persuade the girls to confess everything and ultimately draws the short stick. Personally I thought the gesture of reconciliation at the end of this sluggish film, was a bit exaggerated.

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The drama in 'The Sisterhood of Night' really would struggle to pass for decent story lines in an average episode of your favourite soap opera. It's a rather bizarre movie that sets itself up to be something very entertaining and just very slowly fizzles out to nothing more than a bunch of girls being girls and parents being parents.There's one story arc that gets a little heavier than the rest but even that is breezed over pretty forgettably. No element to any of it justified the making of a film.

The acting is pretty average from all the girls. Interesting this was Olivia DeJonge's first film. She has come a long way from here to her very fine performance in M. Night Shyamalan's 'The Visit'. Whether it was his fine direction or just how much she's learnt in that time I'm not sure, but to see her flat and uninspiring performance here caught me quite by surprise. It was a strange film to come across Kal Penn in as well. At first I thought he must've been put in for some comic relief, either that or he was going to turn out to be more important to the story than first met the eye, but neither really turned out to be the case. Overall there's really not a lot to see here.

There are many young stars in the making here. This ensemble cast of teens captures the pains of growing up and being heard in a hostile environment known as young adulthood. It has elements of The Crucible, in that the town they live in is on a witch hunt to find the secret belonging to this group of young female outcasts. But the main driver of the story is the pain of growing up and how each of these girls deals with it and its consequences. Great visuals and a pulsing beat captivates you even further. I'm not a teenage girl but I could relate to the world Waechter created. The characters were not black and white. The antagonists had redeeming qualities. The protagonists had flaws. All in all there was complexity here. And there are probably elements in this story - alienation, understanding, prejudice, judgment - we can all relate to, no matter what age we are.

Ew - I got about a third of the way through this before I felt like I was reading the diary of a 12year old girl. This movie has a tight target audience and not much appeal to the rest of us.

Nice production values and cute sets. But it feels more like a long episode of Degrassi. There's also just about no male characters except for the school counselor.

It emerged onto my radar mistakenly classified as a horror. There ain't much horror here folks.

What else can I say? There's a lot of sashaying. The Mary character seems to move perpetually in a stylized slow mo almost like a video clip. Tycho appears on the soundtrack which I thought was a fresh choice.

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.

This film probably speaks loudly to many adolescent females who want a safe space to be themselves. The end scenes made me cry. Sadly, there were no black girls in this film.

This wasn't a bad film the film was given an 18 rating for apparent reasons but when i compare films that are clearly more violent and have the same themes as this film these films get a 15 rating the content was tame in comparison ti guve this film an 18 rating is a mickey taking.

This movie is amazing and it a MUST SEE! Young women today are bombarded by so many negative role models and messages and it is refreshing to watch a movie that EMPOWERS young women! This movie tells a story in a wonderful way while showing how important it is for young women to empower each other through the strength and courage of sisterhood! Women of all ages need to see this movie. I'd encourage mothers to see this movie with their teen-aged daughters. There is a lot that can be learned from this movie and it can and has sparked great conversation and unity among young women.

It was an added bonus for me that the movie was filmed and the story takes place in a location that is just 15 minutes from my hometown! It was fun to see various locations that I visit on a regular basis.

Kingston is a vivid, lovely city that certainly created a hometown feel and backdrop which added to the story itself. I know that all of us who shop/bank/live in and around Kingston NY were so grateful to have a movie produced here. There are many shop owners and store employees who had only wonderful things to say about the cast and production staff.

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

I volunteered at the Los Angeles International Women's Film Festival and I saw a great majority of the films being played there. Many were great. However, The Sisterhood of Night in my opinion was the best film of them all. It had great messages in it about friendships, adolescence, love, lies, and the power of media. This film is a masterpiece of interwoven fine art. The dance scenes, the music, the visuals, and the location all combined make one excellent display of what great film artwork should look like. I loved how the main characters friendship made me reflect on my own teenage years and brought me visions of my lifelong best friends. I loved the mysterious rituals of the film. The errieness of the dark and unknown. The woods, the serenity, night scenes, and rain reminded me of some of my best high school memories in Washington state. The vide ographer did an amazing job of filming light in darkness. The main character was intriguing and powerful with her unique look and care free spirit. I can not believe this film is not on the big screen. Most of the scenes look much better than large budget films. I came home telling my teenager about it and told her she missed out by not attending the festival. I also told her that I hoped this film would be available on a DVD so she could watch it. Overall this film on the sisterhood of teenage females is long over due. Hats off to the writer, the crew, and cast. This film is meant for the big screen just showing at festivals does not do it justice. Loved it so much had to follow the actors and crew on Instagram. The people that are a part of this production are just as amazing as the film. I plan on sending this film once available to my nieces and other loved ones.

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.

Ok, I'm so far behind watching movies. I just saw this today. What I can't understand, other than the politics, is why this movie wasn't at least nominated for an Oscar, and all of the various women's awards. This film shows a group of girls coming together in friendship, love and support for each other in a way that is unique and amazingly soul touching. They find a way to get out of the social media insanity and share their fears, dreams and concerns in total confidence. All women and girls should see this, all fathers should see this.

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.

I loved The Sisterhood of Night. It's so more than a teen girl movie. It's scary, it's sad. The characters are rich. The plot is surprising. Just when you think you have the movie figured out, screen writer Marilyn Fu takes a left turn.

Director Caryn Waechter make this independent movie look like a big budget thriller. The night time scenes in the woods are beyond beautiful.

The young actresses are terrific. My daughter has loved Georgie Henley since The Chronicles of Narnia.

It's a great movie to watch with your teenager. You'll both fall in love with these girls. And you'll both cry. It's the kind of movie you'll want to watch more than once.

I was fortunate to be in the North American Premiere of this film at the Woodstock Film Festival in October. Having grown up in Kingston, NY where the film was shot was an added highlight. In addition, the screenwriter and director, along with many actors in the film were available for a question and answer session after the showing. The filmmaking and acting was terrific. Georgie Henley did a great job as the main female lead as did Kal Penn, as a Guidance Counselor. The storyline was intense, but humor added in between the dramatic parts of the plot worked very well. Since the main characters are teenage girls, I would imagine that it would be that age group that is drawn to this film.

If you like movies with Salem Witch Trial vibes I would say to give this film a try. It is an adolescent female point of view that at times could seem over acted like a play, acting seems over exaggerated. I would relate the acting style & tempo like the movie adaptation of "The Clique". It follows the same basis of the Salem Witch Trials, jealousy & petty arguments turning into mass hysteria. I really enjoy anything that reminds me of that so I can look past areas where some audience members might think is too overacted. I personally think because of it being more kid friendly that this is a film that could be played in schools as a representation of bullying, negative impacts of social media, lying, depression, etc. The heart of this film is kids at a coming of age moment trying to understand & cope with subjects that they aren't given the tools to handle & how they get through it. That is a concept that everyone can relate to. They're just kids trying to figure themselves out with family complications, death, drugs, depression, sex, its a complicated time. Sobering film to remember, they're children.