WITCHES OF AMITYVILLE ACADEMY **** U.K. 2020 Dir: Rebecca Matthews. 91 mins
The film starts off during an old witch trial as we see witches being hanged. Jump to present day and we find robbers on the search for loot messing with the wrong women as they come face to face with real life witches.
A young girl receives a mysterious scholarship to an academy. Upon arrival she thinks something sinister is a foot, and that evening she witnesses a new student get sacrificed by the academy. The witches turn on Jessica and she is saved by a coven of white witches who look after her the witches must protect Jessica from the academy and there leader the mistress of the dark as Jessica hides a dark family secret, she is much more powerful than even she knows.
I really enjoyed this dark witchy offering, not only is this very entertaining but the story is really good, you actually care for the characters and the FX is second to none, there is a scene of a throat being slit and blood spurting out everywhere, it’s one of the best gore scenes I have seen in an indie horror in a very long while…so good!
Actor Sarah T. Cohen (Jessica) stole the show here along with a great solid cast my favourite being the three white witches.
I’m a huge fan of women in horror and this film has it all, not only is it a female driven horror film but the film is directed by a women as well, we need more films in the horror genre like this and certainly more films about witchcraft!
Fans of The Witch and The Craft will love this dark offering.
Let’s hope we see a sequel to this great indie witchcraft film…
Which was subtly hinted at during the ending!
…As my will so mote it be!
Review by Tony Newton