Trick of the Witch (2010)

Written and directed by Chris Morrissey 

Stars: Share Cherrie, Owen Alabado, Shay Alexis, Renae Boult, Keyanna Sawyer, Irene Villalobos, Micah Mora, Louis Montano, Jovanny Venegas, Rebecca Da Costa, Elizabeth Lam Nguyen, Gia Franzia

Release: Free to View

Wow. It's been a long old road to to see Chris Morrissey's supernatural horror thriller Trick of the Witch. I spent a long time harrasing the poor guy to review this film, it sounded right up my street and I found the trailer...well... bewitching.

I know that the movie had successfull screenings which fit Chris' and his team's vision on it being seen on the big screen. Now it is available for the masses and I am eternally grateful for Chris reaching out to me to share the news. 

I have been admittedly very abscent on this site for the past few years. Not by choice but neccessity...here is hoping I can get back to doing what I love a lot more now. 

So...the big question I guess is...was the wait for Trick of the Witch worth it? Described as a fun popcorn flick by Chris himself, I could not agree more. 

There are so many elements to this movie that appeals to me and I think they are presented exceptionally well. The score is perfect - eerie and unsettling and really compliments the film. The setting is awesome! Seriously, it's this beautiful mansion with statues everywhere, ornate furniture and a well crafted sense of foreboding. The cast all bring variety with their looks and personalites, something that can get lost quite easily with a large cast but not here. I feel as though the main focus on Share Cherries character Krista is spot on but that everyone else gets their chance to shine. 

So the film itself....Trick of the Witch features Krista, a hot mess of a women who is struggling with her personal life and her career. When she gets the chance to head up a new fashion shoot she jumps at it as she knows she has a lot to prove. However some unsettling incidents around her suggest all is definitely not what it seems when a certain venue falls into her lap to carry out the shoot. Dum dum dummmmmm.  

So Krista, the models and crew make their way to the location and after several more odd occurances and discoveries, come together to get working. The aforementioned foreshadowing soon begins it creepy payoff as things go from bad to worse for the group and they find themselves in the fight for their very souls. 

I wouldn't want to say much more than this but suffice to say things get dark and deadly and the climax is just brilliant. I know there was talk to a sequel some years ago and I truly hope that Chris, Share and co revisit this haunting world one day. There are some intruiging ambiguities in how the film ends which I really appreciate. 

Share Cherrie is such a fantastic lead. Her character may be in a terrible place but Share is certainly not. Share plays her  very realistically in terms of her personal struggles but also opens her up to things she previously has no belief/interest in. She's cautious but also really kick ass. Going toe to toe with Krista is the bitchy and spoilt Angel played by Shay Alexis. We get a bit of info about Angel before we meet her so we know she's going to be difficult. Shay nails the bad girl role and later down the line becomes a key player when everything blows up. I really loved Shay Alexis in this movie and her pool scene is brilliantly acted and shot. Owen Alabado really shines as the male lead who gets caught up with the creepy goings on. I know Owen has already done some great stuff (his role in Rock Haven...and I DONT just mean his bum 🤣) and here he plays brilliantly with Shares character. Both are caught in a horrifying situation towards the end and I felt horribly anxious for them both! 

I enjoyed this film immensely and I can't wait to see Chris and co's subsequent work. Trick of the Witch is a fun, eerie and wonderfully made horror film and hope you all go and check it out.