Pyewacket: Tödlicher Fluch (2017)

Pyewacket: Tödlicher Fluch: Directed by Adam MacDonald. With Laurie Holden, Nicole Muñoz, Chloe Rose, Eric Osborne. A frustrated, angst-ridden teenage girl awakens something in the woods when she naively performs an occult ritual to evoke a witch to kill her mother.

“I finally got a chance to check this movie out, and I feel I should say something level-headed given the mixed reviews. Lots of 10/10 and 1/10 reviews without much in the middle. Iu0026#39;ve seen my fair share of horror films, from masterpieces like The Shining and Rosemaryu0026#39;s Baby, to camp like the Leprechaun series and Death Bed: The Bed That Eats. For a small independent production, I think this was a decent little horror movie, albeit with many flaws. Hereu0026#39;s the good and bad:u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe Good: The acting was pretty good overall. I appreciate how this movie didnu0026#39;t stoop to any cheap tricks to scare the audience. There are no jump scares (except for one edit that could debatably be called a fake out). It showed a surprising amount of restraint, relying on a slow escalation of events to build suspense. By not showing much, it makes your imagination run wild, and thatu0026#39;s what makes it scary. If anything, I actually wish they had shown even less of the demon. Itu0026#39;s nothing mind-blowing, but itu0026#39;s on the right track.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe Bad: The film looks cheaply made. The music and camerawork were serviceable but nothing great. Characterization was weak overall, though development between the mother and daughter was okay. The suspense built up pretty well for a majority of the runtime, but when you actually see the demon itu0026#39;s not very convincing. That CGI fire was pretty bad. Why didnu0026#39;t she show her mom the broken chair and door after that chase scene? In the hands of a more meticulous filmmaker with a higher budget, this couldu0026#39;ve been an A24 horror film like The Witch or Hereditary, but Pyewacket simply isnu0026#39;t on the same level.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf youu0026#39;re a psychological horror fan and/or an indie horror fan, Iu0026#39;s say this movie is worth a watch, but donu0026#39;t expect to be blown away. If getting startled by something popping at the screen is the only thing you consider scary, this isnu0026#39;t for you.”