tiny enchantments

"The Curse of Yig" is a horror story written by H.P. Lovecraft in collaboration with Zealia Bishop. It was first published in the November 1929 issue of Weird Tales magazine. The story revolves around the central theme of a cursed family lineage that becomes entangled with the mythical serpent deity Yig. The narrative begins in the early 20th century with the death of the protagonist's father, Peter, who was a stern and superstitious man.

Credits: Written, directed and produced by Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce, The Pierce Brothers. An IFC Midnight release.

I didn t really know what to expect from this movie, I expected less thrills, more slow-burn kind of stuff, and an older period setting with a more disturbing looking albeit still traditional kind of witch. Struggling to deal with his parents divorce, Ben John Paul Howard goes to live work with his dad Jamison Jones at the boat docks and tries to figure out how he s going to deal with it.

The narrative begins in the early 20th century with the death of the protagonist's father, Peter, who was a stern and superstitious man. Following his death, the protagonist, a scholar and artist named Howard, inherits a mysterious brownish-yellow rock known as the "Zo-Stone" from his father. This stone is believed to be a sacred relic associated with Yig, and it's said to bring luck and protection to the family but also causes strange occurrences and troubling dreams.

Wretched witch broom

When the babysitter stumbles upon a crazed woman devouring the kid she’s supposed to be caring for in the opening moments of “The Wretched,” my first thought was “zombies” and second thought was “vampires.”

Silly me. WITCHES. The feminine evil you can ward off with salt, kill with fire, those folks.

Besides, the Pierce brothers, veterans of all sorts of film set jobs before jumping into directing, already made their zombie movie — “Deadheads.”

“The Wretched” is a polished reasonably tight tale of a witch infestation coming to rural, lakeside Michigan, and the teenage boy who screams “Why won’t anybody BELIEVE me?”

The picture’s sheen doesn’t hide the script’s grim inevitability, its deer skulls and witching tree and witch hole in the heart of the woods. But it does tend to distract from the umpteenth tale of the kid who sees what the grownups are up to and struggles to save the littler kids from devouring by the ladies who like brooms.

Not that we see any of those. This isn’t “Wizard of Oz.” It’s “dark,” which passes for sophistication in the genre.

Ben (John-Paul Howard of TV’s “Cheerleader Nightmare”) is the boy who shows up for the summer, not-really-ready to work for his dad (Jamison Jones) at the (Northport, Michigan) marina. He’s got a busted arm.

Still, friendly-sassy Mallory (Piper Curda) is there to guide him through.

And after hours, there’s all the weird and randy goings-on from the summer rentals next door. Tattooed mama Abbie (Zarah Mahler) grew up there, and when she isn’t scaring her little boy, Dillon (Blane Crockarel) in the forest, she’s gutting the deer they hit on the drive home.

“You should have seen at her burning man,” Dillon’s dad (Kevin Bigley) cracks. “Mom’s always been weird.”

And that’s not the half of it. When we hear that clicking growl from the “Predator” movies, when we see flowers wither in her presence and see that reassamble-the-bones back and neck-crack to stand upright (a horror movie staple) we know something’s moved in on Abbie.

Ben finds himself fretting for Dillon and freaking out on “witchlore” websites as he pieces together what he thinks is happening with the neighbors. But he’s up against it.

The “witch” takes over host bodies. The “witch” bends minds in that “These are not the droids we’re looking for” way, makes people forget what they’ve seen, or even that they have children.

Because the witch, as any Hansel and/or Gretel could tell you, craves children.

The story’s few distractions include bullying by the rich kids, teen drinking and panting for Ms. Wrong when Ms. Right, who knows “port” from “starboard” and other boatways, is right in front of you.

The acting’s not bad, the production values solid. But “The Wretched” is never more than a horror thriller you don’t mind as opposed to one worth tracking down. Except for one thing.

It streams May 1. But it also heads to select American drive-in theaters, the safest way to “go out and see a movie” these days. This beast, with its monsters and witchcraft and dating dos and don’ts, was made for the drive-in.

MPAA Rating: unrated, gory violence, teen drinking, nudity, profanity

Cast: John-Paul Howard, Piper Curda, Jamison Jones, Zarah Mahler and Blane Crockarell.

Credits: Written, directed and produced by Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce, The Pierce Brothers. An IFC Midnight release.

Overall, “The Wretched” is a fresh bucket of blood for Halloween horror fans to sink their teeth into. Its lead character isn’t particularly deep and I feel our leading lady is criminally underused, but the scares are effective and chilling, the monster’s design and execution is superb and it kept me legitimately hooked and surprised from start until finish and I cannot recall the last time a had that level of investment in a horror movie. This is worth a watch, maybe even a couple of watches; definitely something different.

As the story progresses, Howard becomes infatuated with a woman named Doris, much to his mother's dismay. His mother believes that Howard and Doris are destined to experience the curse of Yig due to their bloodline and warns him to stay away. Despite this, Howard and Doris carry on with their relationship. Strange events begin happening to Howard, including encountering a snake-like creature lurking in his room and experiencing vivid nightmares. These occurrences intensify, and Doris becomes strangely infatuated with snakes, often seen wearing a bracelet made of snake vertebrae. Eventually, it is revealed that Doris is actually the daughter of Yig himself, and her true form is that of a snake-like creature. The curse of Yig eventually catches up with Howard, and he starts transforming into a snake-like being as well. The story ends with Howard succumbing to the curse and transforming entirely into a serpent, eventually slithering away into unknown realms. "The Curse of Yig" showcases Lovecraft's trademark blend of cosmic horror, mythology, and subtle psychological terror. The story explores themes of ancestral curses, the fragility of the human psyche, and the fear of the unknown. Lovecraft's vivid descriptions and atmospheric writing style help to elicit a sense of unease and dread in the reader. Overall, "The Curse of Yig" is a haunting tale that delves into the terrifying consequences of meddling with forbidden knowledge and supernatural forces. It serves as a reminder of Lovecraft's mastery at constructing chilling and macabre narratives that continue to captivate readers to this day..

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tiny enchantments