[Film Review] Pyewacket (2017)

Teenage rebellion is often a key theme in horror; revolts against authority figures are shown through excessive drinking, sex, and drugs. In the case of Pyewacket however, our youthful protagonist decides to instead turn to the occult, in an act that will make any mother thankful that their child doesn’t have access to supernatural tools.

The story follows Leah (Nicole Muñoz), a high school student who has recently lost her father, and her mother (Laurie Holden), who is not dealing with the grief in a healthy way. As Mrs. Reyes turns to the bottle, Leah finds herself immersed in the world of dark magic as a way to escape her depression. Once her mum decides to uproot the two of them to a new house in the woods, away from the teen’s friends and school, the relationship between them fractures further and leads to an explosive argument where hurtful words are exchanged. Leah’s reading then becomes action, as she performs a ritual to call forth Pyewacket to dispose of mummy dearest. The two reconcile soon after, and Leah is left to clean up her mess by consulting with an occult expert on how to reverse the curse before the witch arrives to do her bidding.

Even without the horror elements, this film is an intense story about grief and the breakdown of familial relationships that can occur in bleak times. The narrative between mother and daughter speaks to the audience in a way that only the aforementioned parties can relate to – although I have never had the urge to murder my mum (love you Janice), most female audience members will be able to recall a time when a fight with the matriarchal figure in their life escalated to the point where something was said that couldn’t be taken back. The guilt you feel at that point of no return is heart-breaking, the difference here being that Leah acted on these words in a way that had deadly repercussions for everyone involved. 

Although I was not a particular fan of the ‘grieving teen goes goth’ stereotype, Nicole Muñoz portrays Leah in a way that allows the audience to follow her emotional journey flawlessly. Her pain, rage and subsequent guilt are all performed in a very believable manner, with a scream that rivals some of the classic queens of the seventies and eighties. Combined with the moments of stillness where Leah almost vibrates with fear, it’s hard to criticise Muñoz’s acting talents, it’s just a shame that her character wasn’t given a little more depth than just angry teenager responds recklessly to argument, regardless of how realistic her knee-jerk reaction may have been. 

Mirroring Muñoz’s talent is Laurie Holden as Mrs. Reyes, who zombie fans may recognise as Andrea from The Walking Dead. Without giving too much away in the plot, it’s very fun to watch Holden switch between characters, an almost Jekyll and Hyde act that leaves audiences guessing who they’re looking at. As a huge fan of her previous work, I was not disappointed by the power that Holden brought to this role, I just wish more directors would give her a chance on the big screen (although I am very excited to see her in The Boys next year). 

A review of Pyewacket wouldn’t be complete without looking at the witch herself. Beginning to show her presence with spooky bumps in the night and shadows that are just out of focus, Pyewacket doesn’t reveal herself in all of her horrific glory until quite far into the third act. By then the slow burn tension has truly crept up on viewers, with her face peering around the bedroom door putting the final nail in the dread coffin. Her appearance sends shivers down my spine, classic J-horror monsters like Sadako (Ringu) or Kayako (Ju-On) come to mind, mixed with the entity known as Mr Boogie or Bagul from Sinister. Either way, I would not want to see her lingering over my bed or pelting towards me from the woods on a dark night…

One thing that I discovered upon researching this film further is that guitarist of Bring Me The Horizon, Lee Malia, actually scored this film. Special shout out to him for an eerie soundtrack that accompanied the dark grey aesthetic of the film perfectly.

As a film about grief, spells and the lesson of don’t try to kill your mother by summoning a creature to do your murderous bidding, Pyewacket hits the mark on the majority of these elements. This creepy piece of art may not appeal to those who like plenty of jump scares and gore, but it certainly has one hell of a final act that leaves the audience wide eyed at the thought of what just happened. The main takeaway from this movie experience: darn teenagers need to learn that the world doesn’t revolve around them, and that the adults may be trying to cope with grief in their own ways. Show some empathy Leah!

RELATED ARTICLES

---

---

EXPLORE

---

MORE ARTICLES

---

---