Fantasia '19 Film Review - The Wretched

Ben (John-Paul Howard) who been acting out since learning of his parents plans to split up goes to spend the summer with his dad at a Northern Michigan boating community. Despite a broken arm, he lands a job working at the Marina where his dad is the manager. There he meets Mallory (Piper Curda) a sharp new colleague, his Dads current girlfriend Sarah (Azie Tesfai) and a group of spoiled rich kids that like to prank the new guy. The stage is set for a summer of sun, fun and moderate territorial battles but lurking in the woods beneath the root of an ancient twisted tree lies a witch with the power to inhabit and move between female bodies, render men docile servants with a whisper and an appetite for young children whose existence she wipes from the memory of loved ones and families minds.

Directors Brett and Drew Piece blend a couple of different witches from folklore to obtain the qualities they wanted in their monster. Being anti CGI they use practical effects wherever possible with Madelynn Stunkell as The Wretched in full costume and makeup covered in chocolate syrup interacting with the children giving the actors something tangible to react to. They also break the sacred Tennent of showing violent attacks on kids. From the prologue set 35 years in the past where The Wretched has occupied the body of the mother of the house feasting on her toddler in the basement. To the Witches appearance, present day snatching a baby from a crib and munching on its flesh.

Ben notices changes with his next door neighbour Abbie (Zarah Mahler) that are also picked up by her son Dillon (Blane Crockarell). The witches powers grow as she builds a shrine of rocks, branches, and skulls dotted with photos of those abducted, erased or set as the next target. Mahler is key in establishing the essence of the witch. How she takes hold of her intended host, shapeshifts into their skin, turning males into drone like servants while making them with a whisper into the ear forget about their small children. The exposition is done physically here which is much better than a stuffy subject matter expert giving a nauseating soliloquy on the topic.

The Wretched is full of classic horror elements. Evil living among us, animals and nature knowing what it is and reacting first, followed by kids, teenagers and lastly adults. The Pierce Brothers have taken their time here as storytellers to bring to the screen a physical, practical anti-structure horror  film that I can recommend.

*** Out of 4.

The Wretched | Brett & Drew Pierce | U.S.A. | 2019 | 95 Minutes

Tags: Prelogue, Seperation, Honor System, Marina, Casserole, Skinny Dipping, Ancient Fable, Salt, Child Abduction, Mind Control.