Two Witches

Writer / director Pierre Tsigaridis obviously has something to prove with his feature directorial debut Two Witches (2021).  Firstly, that he has done his homework studying the ebbs and flow of modern horror scare techniques.  Second…well, that seems to be his only goal in what is a derivative and insultingly manipulative horror film that bombards the audience with orchestral hits, spooky contact lenses and quick cut dream sequences that went out of style in the early ‘90s.  No offense, it takes a lot of work to put together a feature film, but Two Witches is nothing more than a calling card.

Broken into two interconnected stories, both revolve around the aforementioned witches who seem to be working for a higher power.  In the first entry, an unsightly hag haunts the dreams of a pregnant woman in an attempt to secure her unborn offspring, while part two (the stronger half) finds a roommate dealing with her own Salem-style single-white-female.  Almost an anthology, characters cross over for a finale that attempts to tie together those dramatic loose ends.

 

Picking up a few awards at horrorfests, Two Witches gets to play in a supernatural sandbox that’s gotten trendy of late.  There’s a bit of Suspiria, a dash of Rosemary’s Baby and a whole lot of The Conjuring cliches.  But the dialogue and acting don’t pick up until the second act, where Rebekah Kennedy and Kristina Klebe pick up the slack in a more personal confrontation.  Tsigaridis tries every trick in the book, but they’re mostly recycled gags from better films.  Two Witchesplays like his audition tape for bigger and better things.

 

Arrow Video’s Blu-ray looks terrific though, with two audio commentaries, interviews, test footage, trailers and Q & A from the film’s 2021 Grimmfest premiere.  

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