The Book of the Witch

The Book of the Witch - A Silhouetted witch in a desert landscape dragging the body of a man into an abandoned building laying the man out upon a pentagram, the witch places her book upon the altar and turns the page and begins to read in a ominous voice, setting the tone for our film. Were introduced to August and Victoria a security team hired to watch over a building, both seeming like loners, one dealing with loneliness and the other the death of her mother and her botched medical death. Flash backs of death, Victoria begins to see and hear things that August finds unbelievable but being his only friend, he finds himself concerned with her wellbeing, following her into the desert where they avoid the witch and steal her grimoire. Were left with a show down against an age-old witch and the pain of loss and incapability of helping ones loved one. Atmospheric desert imagery to city landscapes and liminal spaces, eerie scenery in confined spaces, The Book of the Witch cinematography alone is eye pleasing make sure to Check it out on Amazon Prime video.

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.

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!

Starts with an absolutely horrific and terrifying witch where the story is set into motion, slow building of tension throughout followed by a satisfying end to the nightmare. Especially liked the coloring of the movie, kind of grainy, dark, sandy... ominous.

For only a few locations, and small cast, the Director keeps you in it with interesting shots and angles. The story is not super easy yet not too hard to decipher. The two main actors bond together well as their relationship is developed in the opening scenes and you can tell they care for each other which makes the fear of something horrible happening to one of them that much more devastating. Overall a good job.