Where the Witch Lives

After the sweet zombie Comedy Ten of Swords (2023-also reviewed), I decided to continue exploring the bundle of shorts at the online part of the Soho Horror Film Festival, by finding out where the witch lives.

Note: review contains some plot details.

View on the film:

Welcoming Cassie to the new family home, writer/director Mariel Sharp & cinematographer Charlie Laigneau casts a superb, brittle eerie atmosphere, via razor dolly and whip-pan shots diving into the cracks starting to appear in the family.

Stepping outside for an icy set-piece in the lake, Sharp displays a sharp eye for ultra-stylized lighting, with the bright, flickering primary colours, shedding light on an ominous presence occupying the house.

Caught in the middle between her mum and younger sister, Lake Delisle gives a wonderful performance as Cassie, thanks to Delisle emphasising in her facial expressions Cassie's sinking fear of something haunting the household.

Casting a spell over the family, the screenplay by Sharp superbly digs into the psychological dread of the parental bond being destroyed, and the child having a growing suspicion that their parent does not have good intentions, on the witching hour.