"The Witch that Came From the Sea" is a psychological horror film directed by Matt Cimber, released in 1976. The film tells the story of Molly, a disturbed young woman who works as a barmaid and fantasizes about murdering men who resemble her abusive father. Molly's obsession with murder and fantasy world becomes dangerously real when her fantasies start to manifest in reality, leading to a bloody and disturbing climax. The film explores themes of gender, trauma, and the effects of childhood abuse. Molly's traumatic past has deeply affected her psyche, leading to her fixation on killing men who remind her of her father. Her fantasies serve as a coping mechanism, allowing her to exercise control and seek revenge for the pain she endured in her past.
“I adore this film – one of my favourites on
the ‘video nasty’ list. It’s an incredibly sophisticated piece of filmmaking
that explores trauma and female sexuality through its protagonists’ woozy and
peculiar point of view, really drawing us into her experience. Plus it’s shot
by legendary cinematographer Dean Cundey of Jurassic Park, Halloween and Back
to the Future fame. To see this one on the big screen is a real treat!” — Censor director, Prano Bailey-Bond
Perkins plays a tormented woman whose repressed memories of childhood abuse surface in some highly undesirable ways, compelling her to pick up a razor and go after some of the men she sees on TV everyday. Even then, they had difficulty drawing a crowd until Cimber released a new, and misleading, poster, featuring a buxom warrior-witch straddling a craggy rock, a scythe in one hand and a bloody, severed head in the other.
Her fantasies serve as a coping mechanism, allowing her to exercise control and seek revenge for the pain she endured in her past. "The Witch that Came From the Sea" is known for its dark and disturbing atmosphere. The film combines elements of psychological horror with exploitation, featuring graphic violence and sexual content.
Why The Witch Who Came from the Sea is my favourite Video Nasty
Matt Cimber’s tragic tale achieves a depth and symbolism not commonly found in exploitation films of its time.
A lthough released in 1976, Matt Cimber’s The Witch Who Came from The Sea gained widespread attention in 1984 when the Director of Public Prosecution put it on the ‘Video Nasties’ list, censoring and banning it in the UK from the public. That being said, unlike most of the other films of its ilk that made the list, The Witch Who Came from The Sea has very little gore in it. While the film does have explicit nudity, it shrinks into oblivion when combined with the excruciatingly horrifying and realistic themes it delves into.
Fresh from her well-received role as Anne Frank, Millie Perkins plays Molly, a single woman who adoringly dotes on her two nephews. She paints a romanticized memory of her sailor father, idolizing him to be just as noble as the celebrities they admire on television, before ultimately dying at sea. Her sister Cathy (Vanessa Brown) gently reminds Molly that this is not exactly what happened, with the reality being that their father repeatedly inflicted sexual abuse on her, which we discover through sickening flashbacks and hallucinations.
In what turns out to be a unique way of resolving her frustrations from her traumatic past, Molly begins seducing men that society has deemed heroic (Hollywood stars, sports figures) and having her way with them before castrating and killing them, only to wake up with little to no recollection of what had happened. As we weave throughout Molly’s tragic tale, her blackouts begin to feel more real – a self-realization of her own mental illness.
While some of its ‘nasty’ contemporaries such as I Spit on Your Grave had a much more black and white rape-and-revenge approach to exploitation horror, The Witch Who Came from The Sea is distinctive for several reasons. If we’re being honest, in most cases exploitation flicks are light on the plot. The gore and nudity are essential to a ‘nasty’ and usually serve the sole purpose of titillating their audience. In the case of The Witch Who Came from The Sea, the film features not only a Freudian lens, but is riddled with mythological symbolism. Further, Molly’s harrowing past and nurturing disposition evoke sympathy and pity – emotions that the viewer misses out on in regular grindhouse entries.
Robert Thom’s script also makes television a central piece of the film, particularly its manipulative power; an incredibly fitting theme for the time. Molly’s murders are triggered by commercials and conversations about celebrities, as she’s immersed in the television’s power of idealizing masculinity in society. This mirrors her fractured memories of watching TV as a child to tune out her father’s abuse – resulting in her romanticized view of TV’s finest icons. At one point she tells one of her suitors, “television makes people so much kinder, doesn’t it?” Molly openly idolizes these picture-perfect men after seeing them on TV, parallel to her idealized view of her abusive father. Once she seduces them and they turn out to be subpar, she kills them, taking their manhood in the process.
Thom’s clever references to classical mythology in the script, along with constant metaphorical references to the sea also add a poetic element separating The Witch Who Came from The Sea from its generic ‘nasty’ brethren. We find out that the sea itself is a euphemistic term Molly’s father used to describe the sexual abuse, telling her they’ll get “lost at sea” together. At another point, we see Molly gazing intently at a reproduction of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, with one of her male admirers explaining the myth to go with it. She learns Venus’ “father was a god” who got thrown into the sea and castrated, “knocking up the sea and Venus was the kid.”
It is with this painting that Thom wraps a neat bow on the carnage that surrounds the movie, tying the theme of emasculation that so very evidently runs throughout the film. It is also to be noted that classical mythology had very gendered monsters, many of which were female. Sirens, for example, were described as birds with the heads of women, luring sailors close to shore before killing them. The overt sexuality that Molly possesses is what makes her very desirable to her suitors – yet lethal. This archetype of the deadly female would prove to dominate horror cinema in years to come.
The key theme of disillusioning oneself between fantasy and reality, particularly through media and television, still rings true to this day, in a time we’d rather be staring at a screen than facing our own ugliest realities. A tragic character study on the aftermath of childhood abuse and an examination of celebrity worship was unfortunately marketed as a horror film and wrongfully dismissed. At the end of the day, The Witch Who Came from The Sea is not a cinematic masterpiece by any means, but an intelligent film that deserves more credit than the genre it was placed in and worth a watch as a little-known psycho-slasher gem of the late ’70s.
A lthough released in 1976, Matt Cimber’s The Witch Who Came from The Sea gained widespread attention in 1984 when the Director of Public Prosecution put it on the ‘Video Nasties’ list, censoring and banning it in the UK from the public. That being said, unlike most of the other films of its ilk that made the list, The Witch Who Came from The Sea has very little gore in it. While the film does have explicit nudity, it shrinks into oblivion when combined with the excruciatingly horrifying and realistic themes it delves into.
It uses these elements to explore the depths of Molly's disturbed mind and the destructive impact of trauma on an individual. The film also delves into societal expectations and the objectification of women. Molly's occupation as a barmaid and her obsession with Hollywood glamour and idealized versions of femininity contribute to her distorted perception of reality. She sees herself as a seductive witch, luring men to their deaths, reflecting the toxic portrayal of women in media at the time. "The Witch that Came From the Sea" is notable for its unconventional approach to horror and its exploration of the psychological effects of trauma. It serves as a dark and thought-provoking examination of the human mind and the impact of abuse on an individual's mental state..
Reviews for "From Novel to Screen: Adapting "The Witch that Came from the Sea" for Cinema"
1. John - 2/5 stars
"The Witch That Came from the Sea" was a disappointment for me. I found the plot to be confusing and hard to follow. Additionally, the characters were unlikable and lacked depth. The movie attempted to explore dark themes, but it came across as cliché and predictable. Overall, I was bored and dissatisfied with this film.
2. Sarah - 3/5 stars
I didn't hate "The Witch That Came from the Sea," but it certainly didn't meet my expectations. The story started off intriguing, but it quickly lost its grip on me. The pacing felt off, and the movie failed to maintain a sense of tension throughout. While there were some interesting moments, they were overshadowed by the lackluster execution and underdeveloped characters.
3. Michael - 1/5 stars
This movie was a complete waste of my time. "The Witch That Came from the Sea" had potential but failed to deliver on every level. The storyline was poorly written and made no sense. I couldn't connect with any of the characters, and their motivations were unclear. The performances were also subpar, adding to the overall disappointment. I would not recommend this film to anyone.
4. Emily - 2/5 stars
I had high hopes for "The Witch That Came from the Sea," but unfortunately, it fell short for me. The film had a promising premise, but it failed to fully explore its potential. The pacing was slow, and the narrative was often confusing. Furthermore, the graphic violence felt unnecessary and gratuitous. Overall, I found the movie to be underwhelming and forgettable.
5. David - 2/5 stars
"The Witch That Came from the Sea" was a letdown. The film lacked coherence and failed to engage me from start to finish. The performances were lackluster, and the characters were uninteresting. The attempts at creating a psychological horror atmosphere fell flat, leaving me unimpressed. While there were a few shocking moments, they were not enough to salvage the overall disjointed and unsatisfying viewing experience.