Pyewacket

Pyewacket (2017)Running time: 84 minutesHorrorStarring: Laurie Holden (The Walking Dead, Silent Hill); Nicole Muñoz (Defiance, Once Upon a Time)‘Be careful what you wish for, someone might be listening’After the death of her father, Leah (Nicole Muñoz) has her life turned upside down by her mother (Laurie Holden) when she insists they move house, leaving their suburban family home, for a quiet place in the woods. “I need a fresh start” her mother says. Her mother also wants her to move schools, taking her away from her friends. She unsympathetically tells her after a debate over it on the drive to school that she “can finish the school year and transfer next year.... Take it or leave it”.Leah, along with her friends, has a strong interest in the occult and ritual. After a heated argument with her mother, Leah, being hurt deeply when, in the heat of the moment, her mother tells her she is “acting like such a brat” and that she is becoming a “loser”, and the worst blow of all, when she tells her “every time I look at you I see your father’s face, god I wish I could just....rip it off”, Leah in a state of anguish regretfully wishes her mother was dead, and later that evening performs a ‘black craft’ ritual, unleashing Pyewacket into their lives.The next morning, Leah, now coming to her senses, is completely guilt ridden in herself and doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t want her mother to die, obviously, she was just upset and in pain. She doesn’t know what to do now, or how to undo the ritual, and when she starts hearing noises and things start to go bump in the night, she turns to Rowan Dove (an occult author who she had met at a book signing earlier in the movie) for help, but is it too late?With a crippling ending, this film is an emotional ride from start to finish. Its focus being on the characters rather than cheap shocks and over the top gore, it’s a fantastic journey from start to finish. The cast is perfect and the film is brilliantly acted. Nicole Muñoz portrays the young Leah, full of torment and emotional distress with perfection. She is a very talented actress who I first came across starring as Christie McCawley in Defiance (2013-2015). This young lady has an exceptional career ahead of her.The cinematography is very beautifully eerie, with some extremely creepy shots of the woods to add to the flavor of the film. I especially love the mother-daughter car scenes, they are very well shot as well as scripted.For me, this film is perfect. It is very character driven, which is something I love in a movie. Yes, it’s a simple plot, angst ridden teenager, unstable mother, some poor choices made in anger, but it works very well and it delivers some genuine scares in parts. The ending, which I won’t spoil, is quite shocking. It gets you thinking and going back over the whole movie again, it gives a lot of food for thought.In my opinion, this film is definitely worth a watch. Go on, you know you want to...4/5

If you like a bit of a slow burn that builds character with a very creepy atmosphere then I'd recommend this. It is probably one of my favorite witchcraft movies I've seen so far. The ritual scene is very nicely thought out and feels realistic.I thought the main character was very nicely acted, it was well shot and had good pacing if you like your characters fleshed out.

I watched this at 2am, which I wouldn't recommend doing and am still processing the movie. It takes a long time to get going, so if you're after a fast paced movie, with plenty of action and gore, then this probably isn't for you. As much as this is a horror film, it is also a study of emotional turmoil and grief and that sense of displacement in the world, having lost someone very close. Laurie Holden and Nicole Munoz are both excellent as mother and daughter and the camera close ups ensure that you see every anguished expression. Credit must also go to the sound department, who manage to milk every ounce of creepiness out of every creaking tree branch. Not since the Evil Dead, has a forest managed to be so eerie. The sinister string music adds to the chill factor. Pyewacket is a slow burner but it's as creepy as hell and is worth a watch for the incredible performances of Munoz and Holden alone. Best watched in the light of day.

Ok all in all this was good, I liked the acting and the two main actors were great. The story was cool. It had tension without overdoing it, only wish it gave a little more in the last third.Also for a horror, the scary parts were quite minimal, would have liked more but all in all, a well done horror.

One of those movies which could have been good had the director any clue on what the audience likes Vs what they wanted to create. Again another super budget movie but if there's nothing else on watch this.

This film took an age to get going. In the end I whizzed past all the teenage angst with teens banging on about their good for nothing parents, all the while using the mobile phones they bought them and wearing clothes that they bought them etc. This steriotypical depiction of teens is not at all fair I know a lot of terrific kids that are greatful for what their parents do for them and wouldn't let anyone criticise them. Having said that I know not all parents deserve respect, some are downright awful but It just gets boring when so many teen films have this element in them.So I pushed on to the beginning of the action in the house and again it was incredibly dull - barely anything happened and when it did it was about as scarey as a disney cartoon. No build up, no tension and certainly no scares. It was so bad it was tragic.I have to say I do think Nicole Munoz gave it her all, and deserves credit for actually putting in any kind of a performance with what she had to work with. Other than that this movie has absolutely nothing going for it. Awful.

Pyewacket is an OK horror film centring around the summoning of a familiar spirit. The spirit is summoned which the person then wants to send it back. It’s a case of summon in haste and repent at leisure. It’s set around a group of teenagers so is a bit of a High School type of film. It’s a bit above average and has a few creepy moments in it so it should entertain. The horror genre has quite a few turkeys in it but this is OK. As regards Pyewacket it is the name of a familiar spirit Mathew Hopkins identified in the 1600’s when he was Witchfinder General at the time . Coming from someone who’s dying regret was that he had never burnt more witch children I don’t know who’s more scary the spirit or him. Anyway watch and enjoy.

Not the typical happy ending that these moveis have, which was a breath of fresh air. The acting was pretty good. Worth watching.