Review by
Eric Hillis
Directed by: Kier-La Janisse
In recent years the relatively dormant subgenre of folk-horror has
been resurrected by filmmakers like Ari Aster (Midsommar), Robert Eggers (The Witch) and Ben Wheatley (A Field in England). What better time for a comprehensive documentary on the subject,
which is exactly what we get in writer/director
Kier-La Janisse's
Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror.
There's no concrete definition of what actually makes a movie or
piece of literature fall under the heading of folk-horror, but it's
generally agreed that folk-horrors are concerned with our relationship
to the past, often involving friction between tradition and progress.
As this doc highlights, the sub-genre tends to blossom in periods when
we've grown disillusioned with modernity and are looking back at the
past through nostalgic eyes, or at times when we're assessing the sins
of our forefathers. As such, folk-horrors are usually set in the past,
or else see modern day protagonists contending with some sort of dark
legacy or traditions that refuse to bow to progress.
Split into six chapters, Janisse's doc roughly divides its three
hours equally between three geographical categories, with an hour
devoted to British folk-horror, an hour for the US, and an hour for
the rest of the world.
In Britain we find the "Unholy Trilogy" of three films from the late
'60s and early '70s that cemented the ideas of the sub-genre before
the label "folk-horror" had ever been designated – 1968's
Witchfinder General, 1971's The Blood on Satan's Claw and 1973's
The Wicker Man. In these three films we see the development of the sub-genre's
central themes of conflict between tradition and progress, paganism
versus Christianity, free will versus authoritarianism.
When we cross the Atlantic we find a heavy British influence on
American folk-horror, thanks largely to Britain exporting so many of
its religious fundamentalists across the pond, and with them manic
superstitions. Mix this with Native American lore and you have a
melting pot of folk traditions, all with their own demons. As we also
see in the folk-horrors of Latin America and Australia, the
folk-horror of the New World is largely concerned with colonial guilt,
with the indigenous burial ground a recurring trope. As the final
internationally focussed act shows, folk-tales and superstitions share
remarkable similarities whether they be from Britain, Japan or
Brazil.
At over three hours, Woodlands… is exhaustive, and with
so much information thrown at you it can get a little exhausting. It's
probably best to break it into three chunks to avoid overload, and it
might have functioned better as a three-part mini-series rather than
the epic doc of its current form. Whatever way you choose to ingest
Janisse's doc, make sure you have pen and paper (or perhaps quill and
parchment is more befitting) to hand – you're going to want to write
down a lot of movie titles to add to your "to watch" list.
Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror is on Shudder from January 10th.