Title: Witte Wieven
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated
Director: Didier Konings
Starring: Anneke Sluiter
Runtime: 1hr 1min

What It Is: There is something deep and dark in the woods—or so the superstition goes in a medieval Dutch village. When an infertile, faith-driven woman is forced to flee to the woods for safety, she is stunned by how quickly her peers turn on her. As it turns out, there may indeed be something otherworldly and mysterious in the forest, but perhaps the real darkness lies elsewhere.

What We Think: The one constant thought I had throughout this movie was, “Man, I’m glad I don’t live in the Middle Ages.” This film is bleak, beautifully shot, and well-acted. It’s a sharp commentary on the patriarchy that can be embedded within organized religion. I found myself saying “good for her” a lot, which speaks volumes about the themes. The costumes, sets, and props are incredibly authentic, effectively transporting the viewer to another world. The practical gore effects are TOP-NOTCH, arguably some of the best I saw at the festival.

If I had one real gripe, it would be the computer-generated effects in a pivotal scene, which pulled me out of the experience a bit. It felt like a rare misstep in an otherwise excellent film. The creature effects, however, were solid, and casting what I assume was a dancer to achieve those unique movements was a brilliant move. I genuinely think the one pitfall was some of the CGI. I’d argue that when you have such a strong film but lack the budget for high-quality CGI, it’s better to ditch the effect altogether. That aside, this was a very solid flick.

Our Grade: B+, A very well-made movie. I enjoyed it quite a bit. The gore effects and all the practical elements were really, really well done.