'The Love Witch' Casts A Uniquely Powerful Spell
She'll Charm And Hopelessly Ensnare You With Her Devilish Desires
First things first - let’s establish an honest rapport with each other. Trust is essential between us, don’t you agree? So, I gotta say this as clearly and emphatically as I can without sounding like I am being completely inauthentic or acting as some kind of fawning sell out.
So, here goes…
The Love Witch captivates as one of the most unique, enjoyable and mind blowing movies I’ve ever seen in my life. This is no hyperbolic plea to go watch it for the pitiful sake of me pleasing my fragile ego by justifying my Substack piece. The film is utterly, uniquely brilliant. Like you, I enjoy scores of new films each year, and I can even be impressed by many a flick. This one caught me by complete surprise and then some. It absolutely defines the too often overused term instant classic.
Months after first watching The Love Witch (2016), I’ve thought on it quite often, though I’ve yet to watch it again. This is no accident. I wasn’t sure before, but now I think I know why I am delaying my rewatch. I’m savoring the 2nd viewing for just the right, special time, to rewatch, bolstered by a sense of justly honoring this real movie masterpiece.
OK. Yes, I’m in love with The Love Witch - tis oh so very true.
With each viewing, a movie becomes more a part of us, more really of who we are. We’re more intellectually and emotionally connected with its story, score and cast. After several viewings, a film can take us places we’re not expecting, because we’re paying attention to different other aspects and elements, apart from simply navigating around the film’s world we find ourselves in or figuring out the plot elements.
Writer/Producer/Director/Composer/Editor - she even crafted some of the furniture herself - Anna Biller has produced a mesmerizing movie which works on many different levels. If you aren’t moved, provoked and even a bit transformed after watching, I’ll be as shocked as I was after experiencing it myself for the first time.
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.
The famed show tune rightly sums up Anna Biller’s exceptional horror comedy, which although succeeds wholeheartedly in both genres, impresses as much more. Horror fans, retro fans, witchcraft fans: Prepare for something truly special.
We’re fully bewitched by lead actress, Samantha Robinson, who plays her witchy character Elaine in a positively bothered manner. Why all the bother? She’s bothered she has no true love, so she’ll do anything to rectify her nagging romantic debit.
Finally, as an audience, we’re bewildered by what’s going to happen next. If you love a movie to keep you on your toes, yet still delivers the expected goods, The Love Witch casts a mighty spell indeed. Try as we might to decipher Elaine’s full motives before climax, we can only hold on tight, captivated by her next frightful folly.
Anna Biller defines film auteur - then excels way over the top to handle even more cinematic tasks. Writer, director, producer - she even scored the music as film composer, designed the visually arresting sets and worked on the period perfect costumes - has given retro fans a gem to relish and champion, but again - there’s more here than mere craft and nostalgia. A selective, discriminating film fan - not simply one who watches many - will appreciate just how intricately constructed Biller’s Love Witch love letter is and how much it should appeal to film lovers.
Although set in ‘modern times’ - complete with cell phones and computers - The Love Witch pulls off a nifty cinematic time warp back to 1960’s horror fun. Feeling like a hybrid Hitchcock, Roger Corman or Hammer horror film combined with a 60’s crime caper - ala Steve McQueen style, who’s referenced in the film - it's a delightful movie trip nostalgia devotees can’t help but savor over and over.
The Love Witch creator Anna Biller’s on the record saying she feels her film actually plays out as a tragedy. You may agree with her, or not, however, there’s nothing tragic nor sad about placing this unique jewel in your collector library.