Director: Andrew Jones
Year: 2014
Country: United Kingdom
Alternate Titles: Valley of the Witch
Genre: Supernatural
Plot:
Arriving in a small Welsh village, a woman looking to start over with her life finds an acquaintance with a local neighbor who informs her about the town’s macabre history with witchcraft, and when the truth comes out that a curse in the town is being enacted must find the connection to stop it.
Review:
This was a likable genre effort. One of the better features of this one is the generally impressive setup that manages to provide quite a lot to enjoy by generating the kind of intriguing setup that has a lot going on. The arrival at the village and the idea of integrating herself into the community by befriending the neighbor, but becoming drawn into a devious plot by the constant sightings of witchcraft lore and paraphernalia in the community, or the attack by the strange-robed intruder, provide a solid grounding for what’s going on here. These give way to the reveal of the supernatural forces surrounding the town’s history which brings up the history of witchcraft and the incidents that were in place there that spurn the need to return and wreak havoc with the plot for revenge that sets everything in motion here, giving this one a rather fun time here with this build-up.
The other really impressive feature here is the way the eventual build-up of this focuses on the means of revenge without actually bringing them back as physical entities, like what so many would do on this occasion. There’s a decided focus to feature the revenge in a more ethereal sense, with plenty of stand-out sequences showing the witch curse coming to play more as they influence events that culminate with their untimely demise. This is an unusual approach that leads to a genuinely chilling atmosphere with the idea of not knowing who they’re targeting or when, which then makes the instances when the physicality is present feel that much more intriguing as the final half turns that into a far more featured aspect of this.
There aren’t too many flaws present, but it does have a few small flaws. The main drawback present with this one is the rather unique choice to present the big action scenes involving the witch's curse coming to life while in stark slow-motion sequences that feel like out-of-body experiences. Whether that was the intent or the disorientation felt while dealing with the supernatural, the consequence of some of the scenes is more comical than frightening, which is the case here. Scenes like the policeman confronting the malevolent force or the arrival at the priests’ house are the main culprits of this, as they remain quite underwhelming with the way they’re presented, which carries over to several other sequences here. The other real drawback to this one is the actual finale, which is equally underwhelming, being not just shot silently like those other scenes but featuring some questionable developments to have played out, which might not sit well with everyone, and with its low-budget origins are the factors that bring this one down.
Overview: ***.5/5
A generally effective if somewhat mildly flawed effort, there’s a lot to like with this one, which keeps it going along nicely over its flaws that do bring it down. Give this one a shot if you’re a fan of this particular style or are curious about it, while most others who are turned off by these features should heed caution.
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