This film is part of Rentals
The Witches
Joan Fontaine stars as an ex-missionary drawn to investigate the sinister undercurrents beneath the surface of English village life.
Director: Cyril Frankel
Overview
Following a brush with voodoo and a nervous breakdown, Gwen Mayfield (Joan Fontaine in her last big-screen appearance) accepts a teaching job, relocating from Africa to a sleepy English village. As she begins to settle into a different pace of life, Gwen notices a series of strange occurrences that seem to point towards just one thing: witchcraft.
Adapted for the screen by Nigel Kneale (The Quatermass Xperiment), this mid-period Hammer production was something of a curiosity upon its initial release. With none of the studio’s regular directors or stars, it remains one of Hammer’s most overlooked films. Apparently Kneale was unhappy with the final film, which he felt disregarded his humorous intentions in favour of a more conventional approach. Looking at the film today, as the repressed desires of this quiet community are unleashed upon the unsuspecting Fontaine, the sense of dark satire feels ever present, making The Witches ripe for rediscovery.
Contains moderate horror
Related
Dead of Night Dead of Night
Anthology 1945 99 mins Director: Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton and 2 more
A group of guests assembled at a country house swap uncanny and supernatural stories in this classic Ealing chiller from 1945.
Dracula (1958) Dracula (1958)
Horror 1958 82 mins Director: Terence Fisher
Hammer's 1958 version of Stoker's Gothic novel was the most exciting to date, boasting lavish costumes and sets, a vibrant score and red, red blood.
The Mummy The Mummy
Horror 1959 88 mins Director: Terence Fisher
Classic Hammer horror of a reanimated ancient Egyptian mummy, who returns from his tomb to seek vengeance on its desecrators.
Frankenstein Frankenstein
Horror 1931 70 mins Director: James Whale
The gothic horror that ushered in a wave of cinematic terror, starring Boris Karloff as the reconstructed monster with a human soul.
The Limehouse Golem The Limehouse Golem
Crime 2017 109 mins Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Bill Nighy plays the arch detective investigating a series of grisly murders around the music halls of Victorian London, in this pungent Gothic mystery.
The Little Stranger The Little Stranger
Horror 2018 111 mins Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Lenny Abrahamson (Room, Frank) directs this Gothic mystery, with Domhnall Gleeson as a doctor helping the heir of a haunted stately home (Ruth Wilson).
The Magnet The Magnet
Drama 1950 78 mins Director: Charles Frend
A young James Fox plays the tearaway who tricks a boy out of his magnet only to be troubled by his conscience, in this attractive Ealing comedy.
Barrio Boy Barrio Boy
Romance 2022 83 mins Director: Dennis Shinners
A Latino barber embarks on an erotically charged odyssey of self-discovery over one hot summer in Brooklyn.
Small Things Like These Small Things Like These
Drama 2024 99 mins Director: Tim Mielants
Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy delivers a stunning performance as a coal merchant who discovers horrific secrets about his local convent.
Rafiki Rafiki
Drama 2018 83 mins Director: Wanuri Kahiu
Romantic sparks fly between the daughters of two opposing politicians in Wanuri Kahiu’s neon-bright story of forbidden love in Kenya.
Luxor Luxor
Romance 2020 86 mins Director: Zeina Durra
Andrea Riseborough stars as an aid worker processing the trauma of working on the frontline on the Jordanian-Syrian border.
Who We Love Who We Love
Drama 2021 94 mins Director: Graham Cantwell
Bullied for her sexuality, Dublin schoolgirl Lily turns to her gay best friend for support in this vibrant coming-out, coming-of-age drama.
2073 2073
Documentary 2024 83 mins Director: Asif Kapadia
Oscar-winning director Asif Kapadia's unsettling drama-documentary delivers a powerful commentary on the state of the world today… and tomorrow.