Rating: 4/5
Letterboxd keeps erasing my reviews when I set them aside mid-movie, so my reviews have been shit lately.
Vincent Price has the power of a witch hunter, who can claim anyone as a witch for the right price, and who takes what he wants without repercussion
When Price has his way with the wife of Ian Ogilvy — who I would describe as a hotter Anthony Hopkins — Ogilvy seeks revenge, tracking down Price and his lackey, even when abandoning his military post may cost him his life
The movie takes the classic revenge horror shape — the first half dedicated to character development and the horrific acts that motivate the revenge, the second half, the revenge — but gives it more of a historical drama feel than outright exploitation (I say that, but the movie was considered quite exploitative in its time)
Price feels unstoppable, having the side of all of the “good Christians” who will come to his defense, whether that be godly devotion or fear of reproach
The movie also plays on the morality of the hero, having him in military service to Oliver Cromwell, whose campaign against the Irish was unforgiving, not unlike witch hunting. Everyone serves someone, and no one is guiltless
The movie is an excellent example of a film using its runtime wisely — it manages to be under 90 minutes and not feel economical or stripped of character moments
Whenever anyone talks about “elevated horror” as a new thing, point them to this — films like The VVITCH fall into the legacy of “folk horror” that this movie helped kick-off