Writer: James Crow
Director: James Crow
Curse of the Witching Tree revolves around a family. With the father in hospital in a coma, mother Amber (Sarah Rose Denton) moves with her young son Jake (Lawrence Weller) and teenage daughter Emma (Lucy Clarvis) to a working rural farm. Little do they know that the farm has a dreadful history, connected to a woman accused of witchcraft some 500 years earlier. It’s not long before strange things start to happen, mainly around Jake.
OK, not the most original of setups but I can live with that. Unfortunately Crow doesn’t manage to bring anything especially interesting to the premise. What we get is an ever increasing collection of cliches (from Ouija board to blind psychic) and a lot of shouting.
I like a good ghost story with lots of atmosphere. Unfortunately rather than build up tension Crow uses direct scares which for most of the film turn out to be dreams, visions or hallucinations; after a very short time the viewer learns to discount them.
Tension is also punctured by the relationship between the three main characters; for much of the film Amber and Emma are shouting at each other and Jake is a brat (albeit a bullied one). Believable, yes; interesting, no. It feels more like an Eastenders family relocated to Emmerdale. It’s difficult to care for them, even given their circumstances.
Acting is variable. The main three are excellent – especially young Weller as Jake. But some of the support cast are less impressive.
Despite all the negatives, there are some interesting ideas in The Curse of the Witching Tree. Crow’s direction works well in the dark, shadowy scenes – but there aren’t enough of them. Overall the film simply doesn’t gel.