Indie
[Review] ‘The Sisterhood Of Night’ Is Predictable, But Story and Acting Win Out
Witchcraft and high school girls is one of those cliches that pops up every now and then in films, the most notable being Andrew Fleming’s The Craft. Given how directors have treated the idea of teenage girls dabbling in the occult, it hasn’t had much exploration outside of the typical. Director Caryn Waechter looks to take a different approach with her feature debut film, The Sisterhood of Night, which is based on the short story by Steven Millhauser. But with that status, does The Sisterhood Of Night fall into the ambitious to the point of failure category that new directors are wont to do, or does Waechter play the safe route of predictability?
Mary (Georgie Henley) doesn’t really fit into the typical student body at her high school, but then again, neither do her two friends, Catherine (Willa Cuthrell) and Lavinia (Olivia DeJonge). Mary is the subject of harassment by Emily Parris (Kara Hayward), who steals texts from Mary and posts them online. In response, Mary, Catherine and Lavinia find solace together in the woods late at night, providing a safe place for one another to say those things they’d fear being exposed from any online forum. The trio soon begins to handpick other girls to join the “Sisterhood”, with the understanding that whatever is talked about, remains within the group. Emily isn’t having any of it, and proceeds to make accusations of the group dabbling in witchcraft, lesbianism and so on through her blog. Moral panic increases, and things start to come to a head.
Given that the original short story was written way before the advent of social media and the internet (1994, if you’re wondering), you have to hand it to Marilyn Fu for adapting the screenplay to update the story and bring it into more modern times. As such, what could’ve been a dated story with some relevance to today’s life of high school girls and the challenges they face both at home and at school has been given a facelift. The idea of taking things away from cyberspace and to a more “unplugged” setting, while still incorporating aspects of the online world, has been nicely executed. While the overall theme of the story doesn’t stray far from the familiar “group of girls have a secret club that someone doesn’t have access to, so someone starts rumours” idea, it still works very well and still resonates, especially the feelings of being isolated and left out by your peers/family.
Of course, a big part of making this work comes back to the acting (as always). Luckily, everyone’s on board with this one. Henley stands out as the leader of the group, showcasing a hardened exterior. But like the other girls, at times also shows her vulnerability. This vulnerability is also key in giving the characters their much-needed depth for this type of film. Whether it’s Cuthrell’s character struggling with her mom dying from cancer or DeJonge’s Lavinia dealing with her broken family, to even the film’s antagonist in Hayward feeling the isolation and having to resort to bullying to prop herself up. It all makes for a very authentic-feeling group of characters. It’s not just the four leads, either. Kal Penn, for example, plays the girls’ guidance counselor who is sympathetic to their situation.
Now after reading all of this, I know that some horror fans will be disappointed. No, this is not The Craft. No, there’s no unleashing of unspeakable evil that possesses the girls (witchcraft is really only mentioned as part of the rumours). It’s essentially a modern update to a cautionary tale that has the typical high school drama that spirals into more serious problems that unlike the rumours spread by Emily, are true. So yes, it’s not the escape that some fans will want. But then, this isn’t meant to be that type of film. On the other hand, despite the update to the original story, this is still one that’s predictable and isn’t going to reinvent things. But sometimes you just don’t have to make that kind of a splash.
Really, from reading the synopsis, you’ll decide whether you’re going to like this film or not. What here as a grounded and realistic portrayal of a group of high school girls looking to belong that quickly grows into helicopter parents doing the mob mentality thing while ignoring the real problems. If you’re in the mood for that, this film does it well, complete with some great acting by the principal actors. Those who aren’t will probably pass. Honestly though, film fans would still do well to give this one a viewing, as sometimes, it’s just not all about blood and guts horror.
Indie
“Bite Size Short: Her House of Horrors” Announce Short Grant Program!
Her House of Horrors, the horror division of Independent Production House WOMXNOGRAPHY, has launched its Bite Size Short Grant Program, ahead of its film festival Dollhouse of Horror, which will take place in March 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
The Bite Size Short Grant Program awards $2,000 film grants to female-identifying and queer horror filmmakers. Shorts must be able to be made for $2,000, with a minimum runtime of 8 minutes. Submissions are now open on Filmfreeway, and are being judged by a panel of horror lovers and content creators.
The 2024 Bite Size Short Grant Program judge lineup is as follows:
“James H. Carter II- A documentary director, film producer, podcaster, marketing specialist, and writer. James is the founder and co-owner of Creepy Kingdom. Creepy Kingdom was founded in 2011 and is a multimedia website, and production studio specializing in creepy content. Their primary focus lies at the intersection of childlike fantasy and the macabre, covering horror films, theme parks, haunts, and much more. Beyond their extensive media coverage, Creepy Kingdom hosts events, offers original merchandise, and engages in film production under the Creepy Kingdom Studios brand producing original films like “Foolish Mortals”, exploring Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” fan culture, and “Georgie”, featuring Tony Dakota from the original “It” miniseries.
“In addition to founding Creepy Kingdom, James has won awards for his documentary work, including the award-winning “Foolish Mortals,” which has earned him recognition. He has been featured on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween special.
“Ashleeta Beauchamp is the editor-in-chief of Peek-A-Boo! Magazine, a cheeky horror magazine created to uplift marginalized writers, artists, models and other creators within the horror community. She also runs The Halloween Coalition, a community group to provide support and marketing for horror and Halloween events around the Southern California area.
“Titeanya Rodríguez is a multi-hyphenate creative, and the founder and owner of HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, home of DOLLHOUSE OF HORROR and the horror division of WOMXNOGRAPHY. As a fellow storyteller and a self-proclaimed artivist, Titeanya’s mission is to create opportunities for women of color and queer women, across film, tv, sports, music, and beyond. She is also the creator of the BITE SIZE SHORT grant program.”
Winners will have a one-night theatrical screening at Regal Cinemas. Submissions Close April 8 at Midnight. Winners will be announced on May 27, 2024. Shorts must be shot and through post-production by June 30, 2024. The screening will take place on July 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.
WOMXNOGRAPHY, HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, and Rodriguez are represented by Azhar PR, Granderson Des Rochers, and Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir.
To submit your short to the Bite Size Short Grant Program, go to the FilmFreeway link here.