PLOT: In the woods, Emily and her companions come across a Witchboard. Once used, it brings dangerous consequences. They must act quickly and eliminate the dangers before it becomes too late.
REVIEW: The horror genre has its highlights Dream Warriors are among the most enjoyable depictions of blood, gore, and over-the-top comedic undertones. So upon learning that writer and director Chuck Russell had returned to the genre nearly 25 years after his last film, I was overjoyed. Russell was remaking Witchboard, a somewhat more toned-down film from 1986 that seemed to be inspired by Ouija boards and popular culture. Obviously, with a little more touch, it seemed to be a perfect film for 2022. Thus, it is disappointing for me to say that Witchboard 2024 is a bit of an incoherent story.
If you wish to see some kind of a new development to the 1986 plot, then you should just drop that thought to the ground as here we are given a plot about a girl who discovers the board and is possessed. Alright, that actually puts it a bit closer to the original isn’t it but injects in some side story about building a restaurant and some shady investor throwing money at them. There were points at which I had to double-check if I wasn’t watching a Blumhouse’s title. From the boring characters to a very cliché storyline, Witchboard feels like everything else you have already been offered.
Madison Iseman has fluctuated in and out of the genre, but she fits the bill as the main character, Emily. Madison has exposed herself to harsh criticism from outsiders since she is what gets her crew involved in it in the first place. I can never understand that kind of personality that has a protagonist who does not care about anything. What really gets me annoyed is the total oblivion shown by her. It’s obvious The Witchboard has stood her but it also makes it difficult to cheer for her because she seems rather daft. Also, the presence of her drug dealer did not quite help either. Once again, makes it terribly difficult to sympathize. But Iseman herself is very convincing. The lead is Aaron Dominguez and he does fairly well. It shows the need to be affectionate for Emily, though I frequently think ‘What the hell does he like about this girl?’ His character comes across as very simplistic.
Jamie Campbell Bower is the highlight of the film as he perfectly takes up the character of Alexander Batiste. As proven by his performance as Vecna in the Stranger Things series, Bowers’s voice is one that is capable of touching your heart. His role is a rough archetype but he brings so much liveliness to it. However, he got underused, especially toward the end of the film. He gets some backlash for being one-dimensionally evil, which was okay for me. Leaving some more charismatic characters aside, Charlie Tahan of Ozark only makes a small but important cameo in the film, thus making him the most relatable character in the film. In fact, he is the only one who, on seeing the Witchboard, immediately wants it to be as far away as possible, and says so. Poor guy, if only they’d listened to him.
While the basic concept of directly using an Ouija board was not thought of much, I personally liked the idea of having a new version of the board. I wouldn’t be shocked if, as with the original, it was for legal reasons, but it looks cool. The story takes place in New Orleans adding the correct witchy vibe to this edition of Witchboard. Witchcraft has been practiced in the city for a very long period so having the movie set in this location was only fitting.
Indeed, the CGI blood can sometimes become excessive, and with its lots of applications, I became more and more irritated. There are even simple moments where something practical could be used but they choose to do it digitally which is quite disappointing. That’s not to say everything is CGI, as there are a lot more neck slashes and some other great moments. They also do combine elements to good success. Wetness was quite an experience in the process. But I have to say that the violence depicted with CGI left me quite speechless. Is it hard to dip a ko syrup into a red color? And the kills are very standard; shock for shock’s sake. I expected some crazy Osbourne-style kills but came back feeling cheated.
Witchboard is extremely silly and surely designed to be watched by others. It’s more by the book than I was prepared for, but Russell saves the day with some great Final Destination-y deaths. There aren’t any characters to get attached to as they are all making dumb mistakes, but the main antagonist has an interesting personality. I’m sure given another watch, and actively cheering for the kids to lose, would make for a better time. But honestly, if this is the level of skill on display, then this movie is best left on the shelf.
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