My Witchboard’s back and you’re gonna be in trouble. Hey la, hey la, my Witchboard’s back! The board is back in the new remake Witchboard (2024) from horror legend Chuck Russell, who fans will no doubt remember as the director behind our beloved A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. Russell is no stranger to remakes, having also made the jaw dropping The Blob (1988), and his turn here at Kevin Tenney’s Witchboard (1986) is a bewitching re-imagining of the 1980’s cult classic, perfect for your next movie night with friends.
Flipping the board the script on the original, Russell (who as co-wrote the screenplay with Greg McKay) sets the story in modern day New Orleans, using an older round style witchboard rather than the classic Oujia. He also keeps some of the bones and fan favorite moments from the original film (including a rework of the psychic’s sundial death) while expanding the backstory of the board to include French witches in the 1600s, persecuted and burned at the stake, and all that jazz.
“A bewitching re-imagining of the 1980’s cult classic, perfect for your next movie night with friends.”
Caught in the crosshairs of an ancient evil after discovering the witchboard are Emily (Madison Iseman, Annabelle Comes Home) and Christian (Aaron Dominguez, Shaft). They’re both pretty busy working hard to open a new restaurant in the French Quarter, but that all gets put on the back burner after this cursed object comes into their lives. After a serious of mysterious deaths (including one particularly squeamish one in a bustling restaurant kitchen that I saw coming a mile away and still made my “Oh Shit!” face), Emily and Christian find their way to the doorstep of occult expert/secret baddie Alexandre Baptiste (Jamie Campbell Bower, Twilight: Breaking Dawn).
Alexandre explains the origins of the witchboard and, one-two-skip-a-few-deaths-and-a-freaky-sex-scene, Christian becomes convinced Emily is possessed by the spirit of the board’s original owner. Can they stop the spirit before it’s too late? What does Alexandre really want with that evil witchboard?? Will any of their friends stay alive long enough to attend the opening night at the restaurant??!?
“It doesn’t take itself too seriously, it’s got a couple scares that’ll make you squirm, and there’s an evil cat!”
I don’t know about you, but my favorite pizza topping is: Horror Movies. You can put whatever you want on the pizza as long as we can drink soda and watch horror movies while we eat it. And Witchboard (2024) is a perfect pizza night horror movie. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, it’s got a couple scares that’ll make you squirm, and there’s an evil cat that shows up every once in a while to fuck shit up. Who doesn’t love an evil cat in a witch movie?!
Witchboard opens up the WCU™, leaving space for more supernatural board-based horror to come, and also manages to break out beyond the direct-to-video scare format by introducing a time-bending elements with the 1600s witches. It’s by no means a perfect movie, but it is a popcorn movie. And all this horror fan wants in a good popcorn movie are a couple laughs, a few fun deaths, and a clever, unexpected twist to tie the whole thing together. If you’re just looking for a good time with no pressure to solve a complex visual metaphor, Witchboard (2024) welcomes you into its kooky coven.
“It’s by no means a perfect movie, but it’s a good time with no pressure to solve a complex visual metaphor”
Chuck Russell’s Witchboard (2024) celebrated its World Premiere at the 2024 Fantasia Film Festival! Click HERE to follow our continued coverage of the fest and let us know if you’re excited to see sci-fi thriller in the Nightmare on Film Street Discord!
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