WATCH NOW
Upon its initial production, the movie featuring The Hanged Girl was released in a few regions under the name The Haunting at Saint Joseph’s. This is a change that writer Jon Cohen is fully accustomed to as he is in the industry, much like how his 2009 film The 7th Hunt was rebranded as torture porn and later retitled again to The Hunt in 2021.
As for the specifics of the film, it takes place in the 1800s during a smallpox outbreak. The plot revolves around a woman attempting to seek assistance for her village at a convent but instead gets hanging as a witch. Even today, it is said her spirit still looms around that area. Although, I suspect some of the sisters who are so called practicing sorcery possess nylon rope which was invented a hundred years after the sisters were to allegedly get it.
Now, in modern times, Dr. Lily Khan, played by Tal Hymans, is quite unsatisfied with her day. Not only did a patient tend to go critical while still on her floor, but she had to perform the action while the girl’s mother was literally dragging her away. Apparently, her headscarf was another point of proof that she was aiming to kill, not heal her patient.
But she has better things to look forward to. Alongside her fiancé Kit (Alec Snow, Home and Away), who is a doctor as well, they are tying the knot and relocating from Australia to England. The two are now going on their final trip with some friends along with Kit’s sister Rachel (Tara Jay, 1500 Steps, The Gauntlet) whom Lily has not yet met. If you guessed that the convent which was shown in the prologue with the hanging is now a “haunted hotel,” then you are correct. The girls going together means only one thing, girls trip!
To my delight there is a wonderful scene in a dimly lit graveyard and chapel that pays tribute to The Blind Dead movies but aside from that, the opening part of The Hanged Girl is surprisingly a lot less frightening than noises everyone trying to frighten each other. But thematically, the softest aspect of that film has always been Rachel’s shifting attitude towards everyone. Rachel first appears to be fine, if not overly friendly, and very protective of her brother. This sets the stage for her upcoming change as she soon begins shifting her animosity in Lily’s direction for no particular reason at all.
I was constantly on the lookout for something more, but despite how intense everything was, nothing actually happened. Then Lily begins seeing visions of a woman with a noose around her neck and their friend Fiona (Melissa Brattoni, Risen, Skinford: Chapter Two) bleeding from a stab wound. At this point, I expected things to pick up, but this too is left to simmer.
Fiona’s vision makes her believe that over Dublin exists the famous Headless Woman ghost who murdered her ex-lover. There’s a reason for that, The Hanged Girl isn’t the film it’s advertised as. It isn’t bad for what it actually is, but if you’re expecting a film about a vengeance-seeking ghost, you’re going to be severely disappointed. And now you know why I didn’t say and if you’re expecting a horror film you’ll be disappointed, Because where the story does go is pretty horrific, but not the way its promotion leads you believe.
Regrettably, that relies on a few major coincidences that only occur in movies like The Hanged Girl. While this somewhat lessens the impact of the final act, there are still some moments that will get to you. A mid-credit scene attempts to introduce some doubt regarding the cause, but it is very unconvincing and feels rather tacked on.
Seen as a film that straddles the line between psychological horror and dark drama, The Hanged Girl is not anything special, but it is passable enough. If you are looking for ghosts, you may be disappointed, but we all know that the worst evil comes from the living, not the dead.
To watch more movies like The Hanged Girl (2023) visit 123Movies.
Also Watch for more movies like: The Hanged Girl (2023)
