7 Witches (2017)
Matt Boiselle
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Starring Persephone Apostolou, Danika Kari, Megan Hensley
Directed by Brady Hall
The art of getting lost in a film simply due to the aesthetic way that it’s shot is something to revel in at times, especially when it encompasses the horror set. Vivid panoramas and crisply formatted tones can carry a story a very long way, making it look and feel as if it’s going to explode right off of the screen and all over your wife’s new designer rug… or in my case, a $7.99 splash-mat from Wal-Mart. In any event, director Brady Hall’s picturesque chiller, 7 Witches, relies heavily on the use of a gloomy, moody color palette – and lemme tell ya, it only adds to a very eerie plot.
The film kicks off with what appears to be a colonial massacre of sorts, implying that there’s going to be some serious trouble impeding on the events of today. We then hop into the time machine for a (hopefully) blissful union ceremony between Aggie (Hensley) and Rose (Danika Golombeck), but we soon realize that not everyone in the family is hunky-dory with the scheduled goings-on this weekend. The first part of the film focuses in on what exactly is working as a very large wedge in this family’s dynamic, and it aids in the progression of the plot – interesting tactic for a horror film, but it was very successful in its application.
As the hours pass, a very intriguing (if not straight-up spooky) clan of individuals wander into the boundaries of the family’s festivity grounds, and at the risk of sounding too cautious…this group should have been shown the exits a LONG time ago, but then who knows exactly where they came from in the first place? There are more than a few surprising facets of this family, and all the while the secrets begin to unfold, it’s almost as if the sun refuses to shine on this “happy” occasion – Hall knows exactly how to set up the scares, and they work to a bone-chilling degree. The tempo is solidly paced, and aside from a few hectic instances towards the film’s close, it’s nicely packaged into a scaled-down runtime that promises to not let you get too impatient with its contents.
Caveat-time: and this really isn’t anything negative to harp upon, but there isn’t exactly anything groundbreaking in the film’s body, but it’s the way that it’s all structured and fitted together, with above-average performances and some genuinely creepy moments. Recently released on VOD services, 7 Witches is one flick that should definitely be granted at least a one-timer – give it a look and judge for yourself.
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Film
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