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Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror

Play trailer Poster for Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror 2021 3h 14m Documentary Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 47 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED is the first feature-length documentary on the history of folk horror, exploring the phenomenon from its beginnings in a trilogy of films - Michael Reeves' The Witchfinder General (1968), Piers Haggard's Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) and Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man (1973) - through its proliferation on British television in the 1970s and its culturally specific manifestations in American, Asian, Australian and European horror, to the genre's revival over the last decade.
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Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror

Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror

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Critics Consensus

Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror takes a fascinating deep dive that'll leave like-minded viewers making numerous new additions to their streaming queues.

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Critics Reviews

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Leslie Felperin Guardian At three-and-a-bit hours long, this is worth every geeky minute if you're into the genre of the title - think Witchfinder General all the way through to Midsommar. Rated: 4/5 Jan 5, 2022 Full Review Richard Whittaker Austin Chronicle Roots intertwine, single trees become forests, moss grows in between boughs, and myths dance twixt sunlight and shadows. Folk horror, like the old ways, will find you before you find it. Mar 25, 2021 Full Review David Ehrlich indieWire Janisse's voice is just as expressive through the shape that she gives to the film, and the connections that she draws between disparate traditions. Rated: B Mar 24, 2021 Full Review Carey-Ann Pawsey Orca Sound The entire history of folk horror films is revealed here as well as where it is looking to go in the future. So comprehensive that if you are a fan then this is an a essential watch. Rated: 3.5/5 Mar 10, 2022 Full Review Christopher Cross Tilt Magazine One of the most impressive, well-focused documentaries on a genre of film, ever. Rated: 4/5 Feb 15, 2022 Full Review James Croot Stuff.co.nz Founder of The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies, Canadian Kier-La Janisse's fabulous directorial debut is guaranteed to leave you searching out streaming services, Alice's and Aro Video's catalogues for copies of what's teased here. Jan 12, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jaye R A fantastic primer on British folk horror and beyond. Extensive, artistic, beautiful to watch and listen to. I now have a Folk Horror movie bucket list ready to take me to Halloweentown. Thank you for giving such time, detail and thought-provoking conversations to a genre that's won my heart and stolen my soul. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/02/24 Full Review ArtystaPisarz P In the age of YouTube video essays that are several hours long and that I like to watch really badly, “Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror” don’t impress me nearly as much with their runtime as they would sometime ago. But this does not mean that it is not an impressive piece of work, not in any way. There are, after all, some things that YouTube video essays cannot (yet) do, such as multiple interviews with experts in their fields, and this is where documentaries still shine. “Woodlands” are an exceptionally good watch, a trough examination of a fascinating genre that leaves no stone unturned, with interviews chock-full with interesting information and takes by people who really know what they are talking about. It’s much more than just dry description of the particular movies, as it aims to describe the cultural history of folk horror, its sources and reasons why this genre resonates with the modern public. This is one of those documentaries that will enrich your knowledge on one particular topic, but by doing so will also broaden your horizons and invite you to do further research by yourself. What a wonderful piece of entertainment merged with education, comparable to the best of video essays. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/16/24 Full Review Jonah K an absolutely fascinating and far-reaching study on the intrinsic contextual relationship that this medium has with reality. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/31/24 Full Review a a This is the best study of archaic images in cinematic art that I have ever seen in my life, executed meticulously. What a pity that this is such a short study, I am sure that it would have been possible to release 3 episodes of 2 hours each. In any case, this is the best I've seen from such an important horror genre. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/18/23 Full Review Laurel P If you enjoy folk horror, want to know more about it, or are doing any sort of research on horror films, this is a must-see. Not at all boring, very engaging to dig into what folk horror is and does, and why it makes these moves. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Meticulously researched and detailed, this film explains and documents the horror subgenre. Though the focus is on European and especially British folk horror, it does put it in context with films from all over the world - all exploring the modern man's anxiety around not so distant past represented by rural living, old religions and ancient cultural practices. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror

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Movie Info

Synopsis WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED is the first feature-length documentary on the history of folk horror, exploring the phenomenon from its beginnings in a trilogy of films - Michael Reeves' The Witchfinder General (1968), Piers Haggard's Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) and Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man (1973) - through its proliferation on British television in the 1970s and its culturally specific manifestations in American, Asian, Australian and European horror, to the genre's revival over the last decade.
Director
Kier-La Janisse
Producer
Winnie Cheung, Kier-La Janisse
Screenwriter
Kier-La Janisse, Kier-La Janisse
Production Co
Severin Films
Genre
Documentary, Horror
Original Language
Brazilian Portuguese
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 26, 2021
Runtime
3h 14m
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