If you’ve ever had an urge to delve into the tricky world of folk horror then Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror is the perfect film for you. Told across three plus hours, and directed by Kier-La Janisse, the documentary charts the history of folk horror from its early beginnings to the more recent Midsommar.
When pressed to name a folk horror, most stop at The Wicker Man and Midsommar, but Janisse highlight’s that there is an entire Aladdin’s Cave of movies to discover. Working as an analytical video essay, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched is a highly informative one-stop shop in all things horrific and folksy. Split across six sections, it explores all aspects of the sub-genre. Beginning with the unholy trinity of Witchfinder General, The Wicker Man and The Blood on Satan’s Claw, the film goes on to explore themes of witchcraft, old versus new, the undead, as well at delving into the different iterations of the archetypal story across the globe.
This documentary isn’t just about the films themselves, the panel of experts also discuss the climate into which the movies were released, their reception, and how each shaped and influenced society. It’s really interesting when comparisons are made between the initial height of the sub-genre and the modern day resurgence – similarities in societal circumstances playing a key part in this. By moving away from purely focusing on the films, Janisse allows the documentary a chance to stand on its own merits and rise above being another string of talking heads listing their favourite entries.
Three and a quarter hours may sound like a long and daunting viewing prospect, but it’s certainly cheaper than signing up to a movie course and it is jammed packed full of insightful musings. A documentary is only ever as good as the participants doing the talking, and here Janisse has scoured the industry and collected together a cluster of contributors who really know their stuff. Filling the documentary with interviews with a range of film journalists, scholars, and filmmakers, Janisse has left no stone under turned in a bid to create the definitive deep-dive into one of horror’s most interesting sub-genres.
From Wicker Man to Midsommar and everything inbetween, Woodlans Dark and Days Bewitched: The History of Folk Horror is the perfect one-stop shop for your folk horror needs. An intimidating run-time will deter the casual viewer, but those with an interest and passion for the sub-genre will feel the time slide by. A thorough and thoughtful documentary that plays as an intensive film course condensed into one mammoth lesson.
Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror was reviewed at SXSW Festival 2021.
Woodlands Dark and Day Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror
Summary
Way cheaper than an online course, Woodlands Dark and Day Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror, is a great deep-dive into an interesting and overlooked sub-genre of horror.
