Film Review – Witchboard (2024)

      Witchboard, 2024.

      Directed by Chuck Russell.

      Featuring Madison Iseman, Aaron Dominguez, Melanie Jarnson, Jamie Campbell Bower, Antonia Desplat, and David La Haye.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A young woman develops an obsession with an antique pendulum board, inadvertently opening a portal for a malevolent spirit to invade our reality.

      Kevin Tenney’s 1986 Witchboard was a flawed yet entertaining piece of '80s nostalgia that garnered a cult following as a VHS rental hit. It presented a straightforward love triangle narrative, where a young woman became fixated on a Ouija board amid a series of mysterious deaths around her. For a horror film rated 15 in the 1980s, it had its share of gruesomeness and featured Tawney Kitaen, a siren from Whitesnake music videos, appealing to teenage viewers.

      Now we have the remake, and while Witchboard was a film that could have benefited from a fresh retelling, updating the dated hairstyles and vibrant punk styles for something less ostentatious, it suffers from being remade in the 2020s—a decade with its own clichés that may date it as quickly and negatively as the knitted cardigans and big hair of the original era. At least the original had its entertainment value.

      One advantage Witchboard 2024 has is its director's pedigree. Chuck Russell is well-known for revitalizing the A Nightmare on Elm Street series with Dream Warriors and his 1988 remake of The Blob is often viewed favorably alongside other remakes like The Fly and The Thing. Unfortunately, Russell's signature flair appears to be absent here, as he constructs scenes of occult horror that ultimately fall flat due to a lackluster cast who struggle with emotional delivery, combined with CGI that might have been impressive if the film were made in 1997.

      Instead of the original's Ouija board, the focus is on a pendulum board, which functions similarly, requiring an item like a necklace to be suspended above it, guiding the necklace as it responds to inquiries. The board is possessed by the spirit of Naga Soth (Antonia Desplat), a witch pursued by zealot witch hunter Bishop Grogan (David La Haye) in 17th-century France. Emily (Madison Iseman) discovers it in the woods after it is stolen during a robbery in modern-day New Orleans.

      Emily, a recovering drug addict, is working with her boyfriend Christian (Aaron Dominguez) to open a restaurant in the city's French Quarter. After Christian's ex, Brooke (Melanie Jarnson), an expert on the occult, identifies the board's purpose, Emily begins using it for harmless tasks like locating a misplaced ring. However, things take a darker turn when unfortunate events befall those around her and Christian. Seeking Brooke's aid, they meet Alexander Babtiste (Jamie Campbell Bower), a New Age Pagan with considerable knowledge about the board, though his intentions for assisting Christian and Emily are questionable.

      Taking the basic plot of the original and adding layers, Witchboard ends up feeling cluttered and excessively lengthy, struggling under the weight of its aspirations long before reaching its 112-minute runtime. The filmmakers have crafted a compelling backstory about the pendulum board, and the opening sequences in 17th-century France stand out as the film's best, with Chuck Russell capturing the eerie atmosphere of a witches' gathering being interrupted by vengeful clergy. These flashback scenes are reminiscent of the ones in Rob Zombie’s Lords of Salem, albeit without the risqué costumes, making them much more engaging and leaving viewers wishing the entire film had maintained that tone.

      Regrettably, in the modern segments, Witchboard is filled with too many poorly developed characters played by uninspiring actors, creating a forced and unwieldy narrative. Madison Iseman shines in her role, drawing on the essence of the Tawney Kitaen character from the original, infusing Emily’s dual-personality moments under the board's influence with vibrancy.

      Conversely, Christian is a rather uninteresting protagonist, evident from his first appearance collecting mushrooms in a messenger bag. Brooke possesses the potential to be a more intriguing character, given her expertise in the occult, but Melanie Jarnson’s performance lacks depth, rendering her one-dimensional. This leaves Alexander Babtiste—whose name closely resembles Clinton Baptiste—as another main character. Jamie Campbell Bower brings some exaggerated flair, though it's unclear if he is aware that he shares the film with the other cast members, as there’s little chemistry among them.

      There are glimpses of effective gore, though distinguishing practical effects from the CGI is straightforward, with the latter appearing outdated from a processing standpoint. The film maintains a dark tone throughout, even while echoing the late '90s feel of The Devil’s Advocate with its glossy portrayals of black magic. It’s a pity that the film didn't capitalize on the