Notable Cast: Samantha
Robinson, Gian Keys, Laura Waddell, Jeffrey Vincent Parise, Jared Sanford,
Robert Seeley, Jennifer Ingrum, Clive Ashborn, Elle Evans
Truthfully, it wasn’t until some fellow horror critics
started recommended The Love Witch to
me that it jumped onto my viewing queue. The initial trailer didn’t quite hit
me like I thought it would, seeming to be more gimmick than anything else.
However, The Love Witch has received
some substantial praise from critics and fans alike. While the film is one that
uses its style to overcome some of its issues with silly plot devices or
character traits (essentially using its 60s style and creative approach to acting
and visuals as a stylistic choice overall), the film does dig a lot deeper than
expected. After the first act settles in and the styles and approach are
settled, the film really does do an admirably clever job in throwing in a lot
of subtext about love, sex, and the roles that gender plays in relationships
that give the film a modern feminist spin. By the end, The Love Witch is less about being a gimmicky horror thriller
throwback and more about the artistic choices of cinema meant to spin the style
on its head rather than use it as a crutch.