Welcome to Knockout Horror. We are back with another movie in our Fall Themed Horror feature. Before we begin, I have an important question for you. Do you want to spend nearly an hour and a half with an angsty teenage girl who listens to deathcore and hates her mum? Stupid question, of course you do. You are in luck as that is exactly what today’s movie, Pyewacket, is about.
I, personally, am a little excited as this is, unequivocally, a fall themed horror movie. There are fallen leaves everywhere, the occasional pumpkin, and a distinctly mid autumn feel. ParaNorman and Super Dark Times were a little on the ambiguous side but there is no doubt here, at all. Featuring themes of grief, isolation, and the occult, Pyewacket has an independent horror movie feel with a fairly heavy drama leaning. Is it any good? Let’s take a look.
Slow Paced Psychological Horror
Directed by Adam MacDonald, Pyewacket follows the story of teenage girl Leah, played by Nicole Muñoz. Leah’s relationship with her mother is strained. Her father recently passed away and she can’t help but blame her just a little bit. When her mother decides to move the pair into a remote countryside home, miles away from her friends. Leah’s resentment only grows. Causing her to delve into the occult and black magic as a means of seeking revenge. Little does she realise that the folk legends and tales of demons in the woods may be more real than she could ever imagine.
Pyewacket is something of a cross between plain old psychological horror and folk horror. Leaning on tales of witches, the occult and things that hide in the woods. It is a very slow paced movie that relies on atmosphere to keep you engaged. Pyewacket isn’t trying to scare you with jump scares or creepy visuals. It is primarily concerned with building a story that the viewer can invest in. Something which it does quite successfully.
A Story of Grief
Focusing on the fractured relationship between a grieving young girl in a difficult stage of life and her equally suffering mother. Writer, and director, Adam MacDonald attempts to explore the subject of grief through the lens of a horror movie. This is always something of a tough task. The two themes don’t always gel and it is difficult to present the topic in a sympathetic manner. The horror genre does not lend itself too well to a mature interpretation.
Movies such as Hereditary do a decent job of exploring the issue while keeping the horror at the centre of the plot. But it is a tough balancing act. I think Pyewacket does a pretty commendable job with the subject. Pyewacket ventures into the realm of metaphors and allegory as it explores Leah’s efforts to cope with her loss.
There is a strong focus on making the viewer relate to Leah’s grief and the impulsive actions that come from said grief. Leah’s rash, drastic, action result in almost immediate regret. She is then presented with two options. Live with her decision or attempt to change it. Her friend group, who initially seem as irresponsible as her, quickly hold her to account. Acting as something of a balancing scale to emphasise the severity of what she has done. But the big question is whether its real or whether it is all in her head.
Fairly Tense and Atmospheric
As mentioned above, Pyewacket is not a jump scare horror. It is built around a feeling of tension and the sense that you never really know what is going to happen next. It does a very good job at this. The location is star of the show. With Leah and her mother moving to a house right in the middle of the woods. Surrounding the pair with trees and shadows to hide the sinister things that lurk. There’s plenty of reasons to watch the background here and the setting plays host to some marvellous tension. Alone in the middle of the woods, scraping pentagrams into the dirt. What could be more fitting for a movie focusing on witches, the occult and pagan ritual?
I quite enjoyed how far the house was located from civilization and thought that MacDonald did a nice job of integrating this into the plot. The hour long journey to Leah’s school plays into just how isolated she feels. And also comes back to haunt her in a clever scene later in the film. Night time scenes are a real treat as far as tension goes. The woods are pitch black and staring out into them, wondering what might be hiding, is exhibit a of good horror filmmaking. I wouldn’t say many of these scenes ever go anywhere or deliver in any meaningful way. But they set the scene really well.
It is worth me pointing out, however, that this is one of those “metaphorical” horror movies. The question of whether what Leah sees is real or in her head is always there and impacts on what few scares the movie has. Pyewacket is something of a Babadook in that respect. Some people hate these types of movies and that is worth keeping in mind. There’s a lot more atmosphere than there is frights.
Mediocre Cinematography
I was not a fan of the camera work in Pyewacket. There is a dreamy style to many of the shots and a desire to linger on small details. Much of this feels like standard independent horror stuff. The problems start when the cameras are not static. The use of handheld cameras permeates the entirety of the movie. Shots that might otherwise be described as inventive or creative, I found to be nauseating and chaotic. Quick switches of perspective, chase cams, and jittery unstable zoom ins feature throughout.
The much maligned found footage horror genre has absolutely nothing on the amount of shaky cam present in Pyewacket. It is ridiculous! I appreciate the levels of creativity but some of the shots here simply don’t work. I am willing to bet some people will really enjoy it, though. The constant movement of the camera was just too much and cheapens many of the scenes. The fantastic Canadian scenery shines through, however, and always looks great.
Okay Acting
Acting is okay for the most part. People rave about Nicole Muñoz’s performance but I felt as though she lacked in emotional range. She is one of those actors that uses a mono-expression for every situation. She absolutely can act and some scenes really stand out but a little more direction on the importance of facial expressions would have improved things a lot. When she has to express emotion, she does very well. Perhaps this is to reflect Leah’s lack of enthusiasm and general malaise. I am not sure.
Leah’s friends are very underdeveloped characters and the actors don’t have much of an opportunity to do anything with them. Chloe Rose gives a nice turn as one of those pseudo-alternative girls that is sceptical of everything and a bit annoying. She gets an opportunity to show her acting chops in a decent scene later on in the movie when she spends the night at Leah’s house. The standout performance here is well loved actor Laurie Holden as Leah’s mum. She gives a nuanced performance as a grieving widow trying to adapt to life without her partner.
Characters are, pretty much, universally unlikable and pretty poorly written. This is very much a case of teens being written by grown men and it simply doesn’t work. Leah’s actions seem unfathomable, especially given the level of escalation, and her friends are utterly obnoxious until they call her out on her bullshit. It really takes away from the film, in parts, as there is nobody here that is truly sympathetic.
Should You Watch Pyewacket?
I think you should definitely watch Pyewacket. It has its issues but it is, overall, a pretty decent modern folk horror. The story attempts to delve into places that it never really quite manages to reach. Often coming up short in the narrative but it is still enjoyable and interesting enough to keep you engaged. There are limited scares but bags of atmosphere and, overall, there is plenty to like, here. It would be remiss of me to not point out the number of fake 9/10 and 10/10 score reviews on IMDB. It’s a bit ridiculous and makes me sceptical of most of the early opinions on this movie. A real bad look for the production company, to be honest.
