Mother Maker Lover Taker

A young witch manages to bring her lover back from the dead.

This feature-length supernatural horror film has positive and negative aspects. If one begins with the positives, first there is the intriguing plot. Two young women (Shine and Barry) are lovers and they are happily living together in a large house in the countryside. The two women are never named throughout the film and therefore could be addressed as Shine and Barry's character. Shine's character claims that she was raised in a coven, surrounded by witchcraft. Then, one day her lover commits suicide by hanging herself from a tree in the woods. Devastated, Shine's character falls into desperation and starts drinking. After visiting her mother (Elizabeth Griffin), who is supposedly a witch, at the care home, she decides to use magic (that involves nasty tooth extraction) in order to ressurect her lost partner. Apparently it works and she emerges from the ground in the forest. However, shortly after, two more women emerge and they are identical to the deceased woman.

The spooky plot and atmosphere certainly add pluses. A woman finds herself living with three identical women, who (in a way) have just been born. Although they look alike, they have different personalities and memories as, for instance, one is friendly and innocent while another is defensive and sceptical. The young witch becomes a sort of mentor to them, setting rules and taking good care of them while they live together in the isolated property. As time goes by, the otherworldly beings begin to question their existence and the tension rises as the worried witch tries to figure out how to resolve this extraordinary situation.

The fantastic performances are another strength. Shine is terrific as a woman who is torn apart by loss and wants her partner back and Barry deserves a lot of praise for portraying three doppelgangers, each whith their own beliefs and concerns.

What could be classified as bad in this film? The pace is slow and that might be unappealing for some. This is a psychological horror film and the action lies in the self-discovery that the doppelgangers and their creator go through. The story gradually unfolds as the witch struggles to keep things under control while the three look-alikes become more and more out of control. The abrupt and inconclusive ending will probably come across as a let-down.

What themes are explored in this feature? Witchcraft is one and so is the devastating experience of loss. Death is another one and another is free will, which is an ability that is learned by the three ressurected ones.

Howland also worked on the editing and acknowledgements go to the sections that involve the use of fast cutting and dynamic sound effects in order to create tense moments. Composer Luke Isom makes a good contribution with the sinister score and songs by artists including Hannah Gardner and Dead Rat Society add value to the viewing experience.

Overall, this is a horror film with strong acting and an interesting plot and from some perspectives, it is also a lesbian love story. However, even fans of the horror genre might find it hard to deal with the slow pace and disappointing ending.