‘Two Witches’ Review – An Interesting Film Buried Under An Aimless Plot

Directed By: Pierre Tsigaridis

Starring: Rebekah Kennedy, Dina Silva, Kristina Klebe, Tim Fox, Belle Adams

Plot Summary: Expectant young mother Sarah is convinced she has been given the evil eye from a mysterious blank-eyed old hag while she is dining with her bullish and insensitive partner Simon. When the couple go to visit his new-agey friends Dustin and Melissa, dark forces are unleashed after an ill-advised attempt at consulting a Ouija board to allay her fears. Meanwhile, tensions grow between grad school student Rachel and her new roommate Masha after a violent incident involving a man that the strange and impulsive young woman has brought home.

I have to say, I do love a good witch/occult film, especially during October. This is why Two Witches caught my attention. Sadly though, this could possibly be a strong contender for the worst movie I’ve seen this year. Any long-time readers of my reviews know that I hate writing negative reviews, but one thing I will always be is honest and fair. While the direction is a bit lacking, the screenplay truly dooms this project. Right away, the movie rushes through important things like fleshing out characters and situations. The centerpiece of the first act is a young couple, Simon (Ian Michaels) and Sarah (Belle Adams), the latter of whom is pregnant.

We do not really know this couple, so when shit hits the fan (and it does, quickly) it feels very awkward. Had the movie spent a little more time with them, it would not only serve the plot but also make what happens to them more impactful. As it stands, the first act is hurried along and it makes for a jarring and disjointed affair. There is also a shocking lack of tension here. For example, pretty early on a dark figure is seen behind a character. Instead of milking this for some suspense, the camera quickly cuts to a new scene. Outside of fundamental story telling issues, this isn’t scary in the least. Most of the horror feels like a 00’s outing complete with shaky-creepy face effects, quick music video cuts and edge-lord moments.

The plot is that rare combo of feeling underwritten in key departments, such as characters and motivations, whilst at the same time feeling needlessly convoluted. Things really start to spiral during the second chapter which manages to ramp the over-the-top plot into overdrive. Now, there are some elements worth praising in this feature. One thing you must give the filmmakers credit for is the witch designs which are simple and for the most part effective. For a movie clearly on a budget, there also manages to be some nice shots and a healthy amount of atmosphere. Say what you will about this movie, but damn, does it try hard in crafting a solid mood. Two Witches has some solid practical effects which does help slightly elevate things. Even the times where they do use CGI, it’s damn good.

By the finale you can see glimmers of a really interesting film; It is however buried underneath clunky dialogue, woefully inept acting and an aimless and confused plot. Even when I thought the director was getting close to an interesting idea or standout moment, it is ruined by the aforementioned elements, and even some poor production design. 

Despite having some things going for it, Two Witches is a self-serious slog that left me disengaged. Think SyFy original movie, minus the charm and go-for-broke cheese. It’s not that you cannot do a movie like this in an earnest and thoughtful way. Just look at Two Witches as a film that has a beating black heart but lacks the polish to make its clunky world-building thrive.

Two Witches is currently available to stream on Arrow, and is available to purchase on Blu-Ray courtesy of Arrow Video. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VXQPfgH_uw]