The Love Witch (2016)

I haven't watched a lot of horror this year as of yet and for some reason I felt like checking one out on the Shudder app. Last year during the Halloween season, Kirk Hammett of Metallica was asked to name some of his favorite horror films and one of the films was 2016's The Love Witch which was written and directed by Anna Biller (A Visit From The Incubus). The film stars Samantha Robinson (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) as Elaine, a witch that is sort of on the run from San Francisco and in search of the one thing every woman wants and that is love. She wants love so much that she begins making potions and going through guys in this new city like they are spells, but their are deadly consequences and it could come back to bite her. The film also stars Gian Keys (Horror House) as Griff, Laura Waddell (Saving Mr. Banks) as Trish, Jeffrey Vincent Parise (The Young and the Restless) as Wayne, Jennifer Ingrum (The Young And The Restless) as Barbara, Jared Sanford (A Visit From The Incubus) as Gahan, Robert Seeley (Perfect Match) as Richard, Randy Evans (The Bold and the Beautiful) as Steve, Elle Evans (Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse) as Star, and Lily Holleman (The Lady Killers) as Miss Curtis.

The director of the film was definitely a fan of European erotic witch themed horror of the 1960's and 70's because it reminded me a lot of Living Dead Girl, Virgin Witch, and other films just like it. I would be super interested to see what exactly influenced her when she wrote the film, but for now we'll talk about it. One of the the things that confused me at first was when was the film taking place because a lot of the costumes seem like they are out of the 70's and a lot of the dialogue felt that way too, but then you get one of the driving a modern car and a lot of the cars are mixed between classics and moderns. The film also looked like it was shot with a vintage camera and film stock which added a cool element to the film and hence helped my confusion. Other than that, when you figure it out, it's actually a very good film that takes you on that classic journey of a girl who is so desperate for love that she will do anything even if it means that some will be harmed. One of the other huge differences in this compared to the classic films is the fact that she is complete control and she is not the victim which was different from the classic films and that is some powerful stuff. Some will say that is because it's a feminist film, but why shouldn't a woman be in control the whole time? I guess the idea of a strong female role just scares the crap out of men, but I find that attractive. That is why I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade because it's smart, sexy, and different while looking familiar.