A superior remake to a bad movie and still a bad movie, but in a good way. The film feels like a neon drenched throwback to the spirit and 80’s flair of the original: lurid and messy. Core elements have been updated and reskinned: swapping out the ouija board (which is its own franchise) for a pendulum board, moving the setting to New Orleans, changing relationship dynamics, but the characters remain gloriously dumb with most of them seemingly possessing a death wish. The acting is serviceable, embracing the cheese and Jamie Campbell Bower’s occult scholar chewing every bit of scenery like an all-you-can-eat buffet. While sparring, the gore is plenty gruesome, but with an unfortunate insistence upon garish CGI blood. The updated script tries to inject some background and justify witchcraft with a parallel (and anachronistic) 1600’s timeline explaining the board’s origins and history, but this serves to make audiences more sympathetic towards the witch than the annoying victims of her rampage. While far from perfect, there are some inspired moments, and occasionally great direction. At its best, the film plays with, and even validates the worst excesses of horror movie tropes. But at worst, it is languid and indulgent, it could easily trim 20 minutes from its runtime and not miss a beat. As a remake, this film makes some big swings and delivers a fun combination of cheese and charm and an entertaining watch for those seeking a bloody meal without brains.
Witchboard (2025)