‘Ghost Witch’ VOD Review
Stars: Chase Steven Anderson, Mandi Christine Kerr, Josh Sinyard, Christina Pykles, Jessie Bockenek, Joseph Lavender, Elizabeth Barrett, Mandee Bloodworth | Written by Joseph Lavender, Jarrod Musselwhite | Directed by Joseph Lavender
Ghost Witch tells of a group of paranormal investigators that, thanks to one of their number being rescued by a local girl at a pool party (yes, that’s one hell of a convoluted introduction), agree to spend the night at the house where said local girl – Mattie – was attacked by an angry spirit as a child, and where a Native American girl was brutally murdered two centuries ago. Once there, they are stalked and possessed as the truth about what happened there is revealed, as they all become unwilling participants in the ghost witch’s plan for vengeance.
Another slice of paranormal horror that is apparently “based on true events”, Ghost Witch is a cliched supernatural horror that was reportedly funded through Indiegogo back in 2015 under the title of The Legend of Seven Toe Maggie – a title which should tell you all you need to know about the level of filmmaking on show here. Obviously inspired by the likes of Hollywood horrors like Insidious and The Conjuring, the film packs in just about every horror cliche in the book – from locals warning of the terror that awaits our investigators, to spooky images appearing in photos, some of the crew going missing… yada yada. There’s even a creepy old dude a la ever slasher movie EVER. Yawn…
Like all paranormal investigation movies, when there’s nothing happening in terms of haunting etc. Ghost Witch is deadly dull, playing out more like a group of stoner teens at a frat party rather than a group of actual investigators staying in a haunted house. That’s not to say writer/director/co-star Joseph Lavender doesn’t at least try to add an extra layer of interest to his film, [eventually] touching on racial hatred in small-town America – through some fantastic flashback scenes that are the real highlight of this otherwise average spooky story.
By the time the real action comes, its too little too late… Instead we’re left with a film that has spent all it’s time meandering to its conclusion, one which offers nothing much more than a bunch of screaming characters, arguing and in-fighting and – unsurprisingly – a denouement that sees history repeating itself… So unfortunate then that the big “twist” was sign-posted right from the beginning! After all, why the hell else would a pretty teenage girl want to hang out with a dorky paranormal investigator? Yes, the ending is something that we’ve seen before a myriad of times, but here it’s ultimately an effective finale for a film that trends all-too-familiar ground.
Ghost Witch is available on VOD now from Wild Eye Releasing.
