Witches in the Woods is a 2019 Canadian supernatural horror film about a snowboarding trip into the mountains that turns into a nightmare and a literal witch hunt.
The movie was directed by Jordan Barker (Torment) from a screenplay written by Christopher Borrelli (Eloise; The Vatican Tapes; Whisper).
The Gearshift Films production stars Hannah Kasulka, Alexander De Jordy, Corbin Bleu, Humberly González and Craig Arnold.
Plot:
Jill (Hannah Kasulka), a tenacious UMass student, abandons her studies for an off-the-grid snowboarding trip in Stoughton Valley, Massachusetts.
Unfortunately, after the sun has dipped below the horizon, the group’s SUV becomes mysteriously lost in the freshly-logged mountains, eventually running out of gas.
As temperatures fall, the group dynamic unravels as a virtual and then a literal witch hunt begins…
Reviews:
“Snowy landscapes create a terrific setting, but clichéd conditions keep virtually everything else about Witches in the Woods completely cold in less appealing ways. Suspenseful scares are in short supply. Repetitive arguments between these frustrated and freezing friends are not. Suit up for petty squabbles, routine beats, and slow setups for splitting up and dying offscreen.” Culture Crypt
“There are some tense moments but with a plot that barely goes anywhere and a story that never amounts to anything, it’s just a bit of a dull way to spend 90 minutes. It’s a shame because it squanders a talented young cast and the poor characterisation ensures you don’t care about anyone.” Entertainment Focus
“Witches in the Woods has great fun toying with what you may be expecting from a horror film of its kind. While it could benefit from a little more patience, it still proves to be an effective slasher mystery. A smartly written thriller with a few more surprises in its boot than initially meets the eye.” The Hollywood News
“This isn’t your typical scary movie about the supernatural, but one that looks at human fear, paranoia, and the dangerous consequences of letting an idea turn into mass hysteria. Peppered with practical gore effects and tongue-swallowing scares, Witches in the Woods is a claustrophobic study of the horrors of the human condition.” Horror Screams Video Vault
“This yokes America’s primal shame of the witch hunt with the more recent phenomenon of campus sexual harassment, seesawing a little too often towards victim-blaming … but with undeniable, uncomfortable power. There have been many teens-blunder-to-their-own-deaths horror shaggy dog stories, and this resorts to quite a few cliches of the form…” The Kim Newman Web Site
“I don’t want my 90 minutes back or anything that dramatic, but I do wish the film had a clearer idea of where it was headed and stuck with that instead of trying to cram too many genres into one mixed-up outing. The characters were underdeveloped at best and unlikeable at worst and it left me wanting a different movie with the same look and feel of this one.” Women in Horror
Cast and characters:
Hannah Kasulka … Jill
Alexander De Jordy … Matty
Corbin Bleu … Philip
Humberly González … Bree
Craig Arnold … Derek
Kyle Mac … Tod
Sasha Clements … Alison
Ian Matthews … John
James Gilbert … Trooper
David Lafontaine … State Trooper Captain
Filming locations:
Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Other titles:
The film was previously known as Stranded
Trailer:
MOVIES & MANIA rating:
