Careful What You Believe In

On Teenage Rage, the Occult, and Witches

Careful What You Believe In

Pyewacket (2017) Dir. Adam MacDonald

Mrs. Reyes and her teenage daughter Leah are both struggling with the loss of her husband/Leah’s father. Taking their grief out on each other, Leah turns to the occult in a moment of anger. 

“Don’t trust your lying eyes.” - Rowan Dove

As with fellow indie horror filmmakers, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, Adam MacDonald very smartly centres his films around two main protagonists. The horror that emerges from that relationship always feels like a natural extension of the characters.

This is a film, ultimately, about a mother and daughter grieving, and failing to help each other through that grief. In a way, it’s The Babadook told from the perspective of the child.

The rage of a teenager is so universal and relatable. We’ve all had arguments with our parents where someone said something they regretted. Or we’ve wished ill on someone else before instantly taking it back. Pyewacket weaponises these feelings and heightens them. Letting the impact of grief, and Leah and Mrs. Reyes’ inability to communicate their pain to each other, grow into toxic and pernicious impulses. That neither character can see how hurt the other is, is where the tragedy lies.

When you watch a lot of horror films, you become desensitised to a lot of scares/tension but Pyewacket successfully got under my skin and my entire body was on edge in the final, devastating act. That’s a testament to how well the characters were established and how much I wanted them to get through this okay. But there’s a lot of subtle craft at play here too. It’s never showy about it, but there are sound cues, edits and shot choices that very quietly disconcert you from the outset. It’s a film that rewards multiple viewings to really unpick some of its… well… magic.

Because this is a film about magic. Magic with a k. The occult. It’s an entirely different type of film, but it still brought to mind fond memories of The Craft. So much so that it made me sad that MacDonald wasn’t given The Craft: Legacy to direct. I’d have liked to see his take on that. Even though I disagree with him that modern day teens would crush on Billy Corgan.

MacDonald clearly did a lot of research to make Leah’s ritual feel believable and authentic.

What MacDonald does with witchcraft and magic is to say: what you believe in is true. This reminds me of Alan Moore when discussing his practising of magic:

“I was in a peculiar state for several months, because I knew magic was real in a certain sense. I am a rational person and I like to think things through. There is no proof that magic affects physical reality, but it does affect immaterial reality. If something is happening in someone’s mind, we think it is not real. But are thoughts real? Wittgenstein said a thought is a real event in space and time.” - Alan Moore

Whether or not what Leah sees and experiences is real or not is immaterial. Leah believes she let something into this world and she acts on that belief. We could argue that everything we see in Pyewacket was true, or that we’re seeing everything from Leah’s perspective, but really, the reality is: Leah let something into her. Whether it was a witch's trickster familiar or just the destructive delusions of a grief-stricken teen, the end result is the same. 

Where can I watch it in the UK?

You can stream it for free on Shudder/Amazon.

Pairs well with

If you fancy a bit more modern indie witch horror, I’d recommend Hellbender (2022, dir. John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser, available to stream for free on Shudder).

It’s made by the Adams family (yep) on a tiny budget and is written, directed, produced, and starring members of the family. I love the idea of that production and the film is great too. The story centres on a mother and daughter (who are in a metal band together) who live in the woods. When the daughter starts to meet teenagers her own age, she begins to uncover mysteries about their family and why they hide away from people.

Further Reading
  • A great episode of Faculty of Horror where they discuss Pyewacket alongside Hereditary.
  • The podcast shared this commentary audio from director Adam MacDonald which is worth a listen.
  • MacDonald also hosts a podcast himself called Canadians Talking Shit.
  • If you enjoyed Pyewacket, I’d recommend MacDonald’s first feature, survival horror Backcountry (available to stream for free on FreeVee)
Other Recommendations
  • Have you ever listened to the Magnus Archives podcast? It’s an excellent four season audio drama with plenty of standalone frights that eventually all come together in a satisfying narrative arc. Worth digging back into the… well, the archives I guess.