Director Chuck Russell (who helmed The Blob remake and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors) brings us an updating of the cult ‘80s horror that weaves a grand mythology and boasts some genuinely shocking moments.
Emily (Madison Iseman) and Christian (Aaron Dominguez) are opening a flashy restaurant in the vibrant French Quarter of New Orleans, but things start going wrong when Emily finds an ancient pendulum board in the local woods. After dabbling with it, she becomes obsessed with it, while all around her, things literally go to Hell.
Radically different to the original movie, Russell’s version is a stylish if slightly overlong mixture of character drama and mystical horror. A large chunk of the running time is given over to the character establishing things like Emily’s drug recovery and Christian’s ex (Mel Jarnson) trying to get him back. This pacing doesn’t. There are still plenty of good points, however. A particularly nasty moment is led up to by a glorious Final Destination-worthy set piece. The opening theft of the pendulum board from a museum is straight out of the Pink Panther films, with a nastier outcome.
Time shifts retell the story of the inception of the board and what’s possessing Emily. A preview at the restaurant in which some rather nasty mushrooms are served ends very memorably. It’s doubtful Russell’s Witchboard will gain the cult following the original has, but even with some flaws, it’s an entertaining picture.
WITCHBOARD is in US cinemas now.
