Luke Klindzic

Ok so the other comments on this film are wack. They've spurred me to write a review right now, as I am trying not to drop my toothbrush out of my mouth. I was only gonna be reading these for a few seconds, but no, apparently not. Here's some background: I get anxious before I watch a film because I'm nervous it'll be boring and predictable and by the end of it I'll feel I'll have wasted two hours (as if I don't waste time doing anything else). This film was excellent. I would be proud to have written something as focused and intentional as this film. Sure, I wasn't on board to begin with, but by the middle of the film, I started to notice there were details appearing which told me this film wouldn't be a waste of time. Subtle foreshadowing which didn't rub itself in the audiences face but allowed room for speculation, an interesting villain who had both an intimidating personality but also a vulnerable side, plot twists which were satisfying and didn't feel forced, exaggerated or cheap. The relationship between Yas and the protagonist at the start was kinda cringe, but it did convey a lot about Yas' character without saying a word about her backstory. Once the film got past the obligatory "oH i DoNt TrUsT aNyOnE, fRiEnDsHiP nEvEr LaStS" stage of her personality, it was good (although, sure, that part was justified because of her backstory yadayadayada). I'm genuinely about to go to bed here, so I'll just stick to some of the specific details of this film that stood out to me. Okay so, the costuming of the witch. For one, it's the kinda thing an edgy teenager would wear to a Halloween party these days- and their friends and everyone else would see them as cool... so like, popular edgy (as opposed to lame edgy, yknow?). So that's just interesting because its very modern and relatable, and doesn't ruin the story. BUT the best thing about it, of course, is how it communicates character. SPOILERS COMING UP RIGHT NOW: I interpret the witch's pink platform shoes with all the buckles and stuff as very 'showy'. What that means is, this character puts a lot of effort into their appearance and how people perceive them. That can also be seen in the witch's makeup and the rest of her costume design. Considering she presents herself to only *two* other people (the children), it's an interesting choice, huh? Well. Later in the movie, it's revealed that this witch is not the original witch. I'll keep spoilers to a minimum, but basically this means to me that she is subverting the typical witch chic because she wants to be a different kind of witch. Maybe a *better* one, which could explain her relationship with the children, as she is consumed by, maybe obsessed by, not being as evil as the original witch (instead being evil in her own way). This is supported with how she yells out "you thought I was bad, *this* witch eats her children!" and we find out that the witch we have come to know in the film was once the original witch's slave. All this about the witch's character conveyed in a costuming choice. And that's just the costuming. You can't tell me this movie sucks! The other thing that was cool, is that they kept the screen-time of the most boring character (the original witch) very low, next to nothing. Another excellent choice made by this film. This is the kinda film I would show to my kids and hope that some of the artistry would rub off on them, not to mention the morals of the story. I'm 18. I don't have kids. This movie made me think about what I would show my kids. Nice. 4/5 stars. I don't know why I just wrote this :D