The Mark of the Bell Witch: Review
The latest film from Small Town Monsters comes out on December 15th
On December 20, 1820 John Bell died, fulfilling the promise of the Bell Witch, an entity that had been haunting the Bell family for years, who had an unexplained hatred for the head of the household. The Witch attacked their daughter Betsy and verbally harassed members of the family and their neighbors. While the Witch herself may have come and gone, she certainly has not faded from memory in 200 years and now Small Town Monsters commemorates this tale in their latest film The Mark of the Bell Witch.
Unlike many of their previous films, there are no currently living witnesses of the Bell Witch haunting. Instead what remains are several books written after the events, as well as a local folkloric history. The film weaves a compelling narrative from the sometimes conflicting sources while delivering plenty of scares along the way.
The film is a slow burn, beginning as most hauntings do, with noises and bumps in the night, but escalates to pure terror. The recreations place you in those moments, but what is truly frightening is that these events actually occurred. Or perhaps they didn’t. While The Mark of the Bell Witch doesn’t provide a “definitive” answer to the 200 year old mystery, the viewer can still enjoy what is presented and decide for themselves what they believed to have happened at the end.
However, the show stealers are the black and white recreations, and I can’t help but wonder what a feature length narrative film from Small Town Monsters could be like. The dramatic lighting gives off a classic monster movie vibe, but the sound design and editing give it a feeling of modernity. This film also boasts thrilling effects work that makes the witch’s presence feel ethereal and adds to the witch’s already eerie look. The cinematography at times is claustrophobic and sometimes lingering, effectually creating an air of unease which permeates the film. The viewer never knows what to expect from the recreations and it's spectacular.
The Mark of the Bell Witch is an engaging and fun watch. It provides plenty of thrills that a horror fan may appreciate, and cause others to jump. The score and cinematography work in tandem to create an eerie experience packed with information that encourages a multidimensional understanding of the Bell Witch legend. But perhaps the film’s greatest achievement is that this work of artistic expression takes the folklore of a small American town and shares it with many who may not have heard of it.
The Mark of the Bell Witch comes out on December 15th! It is available for preorder from the Small Town Monsters website!
Watch the trailer below!
