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The Devil's Bath

Play trailer 1:59 Poster for The Devil's Bath Released Jun 21 2h 1m Horror Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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90% Tomatometer 70 Reviews 62% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
In 1750 Austria, a deeply religious woman named Agnes has just married her beloved, but her mind and heart soon grow heavy as her life becomes a long list of chores and expectations. Day after day, she is increasingly trapped in a murky and lonely path leading to evil thoughts, until the possibility of committing a shocking act of violence seems like the only way out of her inner prison. Giving a voice to the invisible and unheard women of the rural past; THE DEVIL'S BATH is based on historical court records about a shocking, hitherto unexplored chapter of European history.
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The Devil's Bath

The Devil's Bath

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Critics Consensus

A squirm-inducing period piece that locates true horror in both mind and spirit, The Devil's Bath might be Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz's most chilling directorial effort yet.

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Critics Reviews

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Kristy Puchko Mashable Though not a horror movie in the traditional sense, Fiala and Franz's latest delivers an unblinking portrait of inhumanity and festered faith. Jun 28, 2024 Full Review Simon Abrams RogerEbert.com You don’t need to abandon all hope to enter the movie’s painterly frame, but that sort of blind submission often seems to be the only emotional threshold to cross. Rated: 2/4 Jun 28, 2024 Full Review Randy Myers San Jose Mercury News An inescapable nightmare that crawls into the psyche and eats it up alive. Rated: 3.5/4 Jun 27, 2024 Full Review Frank J. Avella The Contending Franz and Fiala crafted an initially intriguing but ultimately shock-for-shock’s sake movie where the end scroll was much more fascinating than the 2-hour sit... Rated: D Dec 19, 2024 Full Review Sebastian Zavala Kahn Ventana Indiscreta A chilling portrait of 18th-century rural Austria, The Devil’s Bath strays from horror clichés to immerse us in a deeply human folkloric tale. It is an introspective tragedy that shows how true horror can arise from power dynamics. Full review in Spanish. Rated: 4/5 Dec 14, 2024 Full Review Aglaia Berlutti El nacional In 'The Devil's Bath' by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, the lurking monster is pain, fear and despair. [Full Review in Spanish] Rated: A Nov 21, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Cyns Corner 3.75 STARS - This is worth watching for the main actress's performance alone. She did a great job here, capturing the essence of the character in such a way that you truly sympathize with her plight, though you are horrified with what she feels driven to do once she is in "The Devil's Bath." I had no idea about the true events/practice this movie was based on so there were some things that confused and annoyed me initially. Once I realized what was happening, my perception about the film changed, especially after reading further into the facts this story was based on. Part of me thinks that if I'd known about these events before watching the movie, I probably wouldn't have taken the time to check it out. Especially since it's not your typical "horror" flick (though the events here are truly horrific). But I'm not sorry to have seen it, and in the end my only real complaint is that at two hours long, there were moments where this dragged more than it needed to. However, that's not really enough to keep me from recommending The Devil's Bath. Video review: https://youtu.be/WUiQx1SR6GY Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/07/24 Full Review Audience Member Absolutely moving. Made me cry. It is not a horror though it is a historical drama. Definitely a must watch, one of the best movies this year too. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/03/24 Full Review Audience Member Hard to believe this is the same 18th century Austria where just a few hundred miles away a powdered wig, golden frock-wearing Mozart was sipping champagne and playing piano for the Archbishop of Salzburg in a guilded palace. No, this is a true story of the everyday hardscrabble lives of the "low folk/peasants" in villages and countryside. Poverty, plight, desperation, suffocating expectations and Christian zealotry mixed over the millenia with pagan influences bringing horrifying consequences. An examination of repressed sexuality (her husband Wolf), depression, archaic religious doctrine, superstitions, misunderstandings of mental illness and age old oppression come to desperate and unforgettable acts and a shocking finale. This was a hard suffocating watch and I am writing this days after viewing it because the film, the message and many of the scenes are still on my mind. It is acted wonderfully and beautifully shot and dripping with atmosphere. This is a slow burn...a movie that is meant to creep on you, make you think and feel. A movie for Cinephiles...it is not an action thriller or Rom Com or super hero movie, it is horrific but not a a horror movie... it is not meant to entertain you...there is no comedy or joy here...it is cerebral and harsh, bleak and mean. I don't know if I will (or ever want to) view this again but I am glad I did the once and it has stayed with me, for better or worse, since. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/09/24 Full Review Hugo S Austria. 18th century. "The Devil's Bath" covers a dark era of Western history involving the ritualistic sacrifice of children. Agnes is a woman tormented by an unhappy marriage and a local community that constantly mistreats her. The daily routine of the main protagonist is immersed in a constant sense of dread in every aspect of her life. The woman is portrayed as a painful extension of the horrifying chapter of history she belongs to. A horror movie so raw and poignant that some scenes drag the viewer into an unbearable level of discomfort. Deeply unsettling! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/08/24 Full Review Troy M This one was so unbelievably heavy. Brutally bleak and achingly devastating. Despite being painfully slow, it does what it needs to do to deliver its heavy impact, and while less horror, more of a harrowing portrayal of depression. It was hopeless, dread inducing and oppressively cold, one of the darkest films I’ve experienced, there was not an ounce of joy throughout its entire 2 hour run time. With a mesmerizing performance from its lead (that confession scene will haunt me for days) it made a lasting impact and will stick with you long after. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/31/24 Full Review Milan Z Amazing movie. Great actors, beautiful shots. I guess it can be slow for people who actually don't like cinema. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/28/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis In 1750 Austria, a deeply religious woman named Agnes has just married her beloved, but her mind and heart soon grow heavy as her life becomes a long list of chores and expectations. Day after day, she is increasingly trapped in a murky and lonely path leading to evil thoughts, until the possibility of committing a shocking act of violence seems like the only way out of her inner prison. Giving a voice to the invisible and unheard women of the rural past; THE DEVIL'S BATH is based on historical court records about a shocking, hitherto unexplored chapter of European history.
Director
Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala
Producer
Ulrich Seidl
Screenwriter
Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala
Distributor
Shudder
Production Co
Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion, Heimatfilm
Genre
Horror, Drama
Original Language
German
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 21, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 28, 2024
Runtime
2h 1m
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