A mother and her young daughter are forced into the safety of the countryside after their house is bombed during the Second World War. But just when they think they are safe, is there a more sinister presence at work, or are the effects of the raging war playing on their mind?
Whenever an independent horror film tries something new, it often breathes new life into the genre. However, although Curse of the Witch’s Doll combines the horror of war with the supernatural it never quite sticks the landing. From the start, the film feels very airy and empty. Each scene is extremely overlit for a horror drama (bar a couple of later scenes) which sucks any sense of dread out of the set pieces. As far as the titular Witch’s Doll goes, at times it is comical due to its odd nature, and it’s rarely utilised for any true scares. A real shame for a concept that held a lot of promise.
The film really comes alive during its final act with some genuinely well executed twists and turns. Its sudden shift from wartime horror to something more relatable and harrowing is a welcome change of pace, and allows for more natural horror to occur.
As the story progresses, the dialogue and interaction between characters unfortunately is very theatrical at points, although the lead performance from Helen Crevel feels authentic to the material and the time period throughout most of the film’s runtime. This certainly helps guide the narrative towards its natural conclusion.
At the end of the day, Curse of the Witch’s Doll fails to deliver on any real jump scares but finishes on a strong final act accompanied by a solid lead performance and interesting twist.
CURSE OF THE WITCH’S DOLL / CERT: UNRATED / DIRECTOR: LAWRENCE FOWLER / SCREENPLAY: LAWRENCE FOWLER / STARRING: HELEN CREVEL, PHILIP RIDOUT, LAYLA WATTS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
