Witches starred in two of 2016’s best movies. With the release of an intriguing trailer for horror flick Don’t Knock Twice, it looks 2017 might be another year of the witch.
Movie witches are great. Unlike other varieties of movie monsters, witches can do their black magick thing for all sorts of reasons. They’re not just after blood or brains or whatever-it-is werewolves want.
Plus, witches are a concrete step toward something resembling gender parity, giving horror films a trope for women that doesn’t involve scream queenin’, being a virgin or merely surviving. Despite years of constant criticism at the lack of central on-screen roles for women, 2016 was loaded with man-heavy blockbusters and the unsatisfactory tokenism of Star Wars , with its women leads floating in a galaxy of dudes (which, while far from ideal, will always be preferable to the shameful marginalization of women in superhero movies). 2016’s horror movies, defying the genre’s long history of misogyny, were loaded with juicy lead roles for women (The Conjuring 2, Don’t Breathe, Hush, Lights Out, The Shallows, 10 Cloverfield Lane and The Eyes of My Mother).
The Witch and The Love Witch were both totally awesome. And, with luck, it will be a couple of years yet before the witch-market is flooded with teen wannabes and dreck, like zombies, vampires and post-apocalyptic movies before them. So welcome, Don’t Knock Twice. More witches are always welcome.
