THE DEVIL’S BATH (2024, Austria)

November 13, 2024

Greetings again from the darkness. If you simply have too much happiness and joy in your life right now, filmmakers Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz (GOODNIGHT MOMMY 2014, THE LODGE 2019) have an elixir for you. Their film, based on historical records from 1750 in Upper Austria, is just about as bleak as any movie I can recall. It has the look and feel of a folk horror, but it’s more about a slow trek to madness by way of depression.

If you haven’t stopped reading yet, you should know that the film looks gorgeous thanks to cinematographer Martin Gschlatt (GOODNIGHT MOMMY 2014, REVANCHE 2008). The color palette and camera work bring a texture to the film that is rarely seen on screen. But enough optimistic chatter. The opening sequence finds stressed out new mother Ewa (Natalia Baranova) carrying her screaming baby through the woods to the top of a stunning waterfall near the Austrian Alps. We next see Ewa at the church confessing, “I’ve committed a crime.” It’s what’s known as ‘suicide by proxy’ so that one’s sins may be forgiven prior to execution. The ultimate loophole.

We next see Agnes (musician Anja Plashg) as she prepares for her wedding. In fact, this may be the only glimpse of happiness in the entire film … at least as I recall. Of course, my initial description of the film would not be accurate if Agnes’ joy lingered. Her mood turns quickly at the reception as she spots her new husband Wolf (David Scheid) leering longingly at another man, and then making things worse with his actions in their wedding night bed. This is after he blows all of their money on a house Agnes doesn’t much like. Wolf chose it since it’s close to his mother’s house. Maria Hofstatter plays one of the most intrusive mothers-in-law one could be stuck with.

The rest of the film is us following the slow descent of Agnes, as each day’s misery builds upon the previous. Trips to “the Barber” are horrific, and Agnes desperately searches for a way out of the situation. The practical effects here are excellent, combining with the cinematography, acting, and direction for a technically stellar film. However, it does feel like a celebration of suffering, and it’s likely more for cinephiles than it is for the average movie goer. It opens with a tragically violent act, soon followed by another. Then we are subjected to Agnes’ helplessness in a hopeless situation, until we finally end with more violence. Enjoy Austria’s Oscar submission for Best International Film!

Re-releasing in select theaters on November 13, 2024 and streaming on Shudder.

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE LODGE (2020)

February 13, 2020

 Greetings again from the darkness. Should you ever get cast as the stepmother in a horror movie, just know things aren’t likely to go well for your character. That even holds true for the stepmom-to-be in this latest from the writer-director team of Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz who delivered GOODNIGHT MOMMY (2014). Their script comes from an idea by writer Sergio Casci, and it starts with a bang!

Richard (Richard Armitage) has planned a Christmas holiday trip to an isolated cabin in the woods so his two kids can get to know his fiancé Grace. Of course, his kids blame Grace for the break-up of their family, and the subsequent tragedy that befalls their mother. Aidan (Jaeden Martell, IT) and Mia (Lia McHugh) take advantage of Google to discover that Grace is the sole survivor of a cult’s mass suicide (similar to Marshall Applewhite’s Heaven’s Gate). As if that’s not enough, Richard gets called back to the city for work (what??) and then a massive snow storm hits the cabin just after the power and water are cut-off. Finally, Grace’s meds for sanity disappear, along with most of the clothes.

So we have a snow-covered cabin deep in the woods with two kids stranded with a quasi-stepmom that they don’t like. And yes, there’s a cute pet dog. We also have more religious images and ornamentation than anyone who is not the Pope should have in their home. On top of everything, there is a large dollhouse that often factors in to what we see on screen and to what the kids and Grace are going through. And it’s Christmas! In other words, there is no shortage of elements necessary for a quality horror film.

I much prefer creepy over slasher for horror films, and this one easily meets that standard. Rather than a slow burn, it’s a slow freeze. Unfortunately, the actions of the characters and the script just didn’t work for me. The tormenting that goes on was not believable, and I just never could get over the fact that dad left these people who didn’t even know each other, together in the middle of nowhere while he went back to work. As a rule of thumb (or red flag), when a character expresses their theory about unexplained occurrences in a horror movie, you can be fairly certain that the theory is incorrect, or at least misleading, even if it’s what you were already thinking.

On the bright side, Riley Keough (daughter of Elvis Presley’s daughter) gives a terrific performance as Grace. She is very effective in keeping us guessing as to her true colors – is she a creepy monster or is she being victimized? Also, the film has a very stylish look. The cinematographer is Thimios Bakatakis (THE LOBSTER), and the cabin and nature setting give him plenty to work with. Other bright spots include a very brief appearance from Alicia Silverstone, and the opening credits logo of the resurrected Hammer Films (a favorite of monster movie fans). I caught this at the inaugural North Texas Film Festival in 2019, and it will surely strike a chord with some horror movie lovers … even though it left me out in the cold.

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson