Leave it to the horror genre to cast a glimmer of light upon a world living in a shadow of darkness. IFC Midnight’s “The Wretched,” against all odds held the number one movie in the United States for six weeks. While brick and mortar movie theatres were closed, drive in’s continued to put out new releases and “The Wretched” reigned supreme. A feather in the cap for directors, the Pierce Brothers, this indie gem will not only have an immortal tale to tell but they put out a very well done clean, smart, and frightening original film.
After lashing out due to his parent’s recent separation, Ben is sent to stay with his father for the summer and work at the local marina. Ben’s problems are exacerbated by ignorant local teens, his father’s new girlfriend, and a seemingly possessed next door neighbor. Much to the dismay of his father and gaining no help due to his recent behavior, Ben sets out to discover the odd behavior of his neighbor and uncover a malevolent mystery which appears to prey on young kids. The pace picks up and Ben races and pleas to end the witch’s reign of terror before the town and its children fall to her sinister spell.
As with most of IFC films, “The Wretched” is a very sharp looking film. The Pierce brothers throw in great shadow shots and imagery thru the piece while not holding back on gore and slime when needed. A slow burning plot moves very well especially toward the third act payoff. John Paul-Howard gobbles up most of the screen time as Ben and pulls off a solid performance, though it must be said the plot and imagery star in this film. At its dark heart, “The Wretched” is a witch in the woods film but mixes well as a mystery and stalker piece as well. Not without flaws, the viewer may begin to get bored with the slow burn until third act ties the piece all together in frightening fashion. While most horror films flounder in the end, “The Wretched” pulls off a fantastic double twist which puts “The Sixth Sense” to shame. A bit stronger performances from the rather bland cast and some boost during the first hour may have made this film an instant classic, but it will forever possess the story of being the biggest film in the country during dark days.
Scream Score 8.4/10