Dir. Aaron Fradkin (2024)
The curse of a witch carries through several generations that live in the same house.
This ain’t your grandmother’s witch movie. That’s for damn sure. Beezel is the new horror tale from the independent group Social House Films. Their previous work, Val, was one of my favorite releases of 2021. Beezel is a part of a subgenre that I like to call “homebrew horror.” It’s the type of story that centers on one central location. In this case it’s a creepy and questionable odd house. Other examples of this style of filmmaking are the recent releases The Curse of La Patasola and Mind Body Spirit; both of which have some similarities to this motion picture. Each of these movies feel like they were crafted based on the convenience of having access to certain locations. It’s a smart move for budgetary reasons, even if the end results are hit and miss.
The story of Beezel is told in multiple waves, where visitors of a New England home unknowingly encounter evil. Spanning across 60 years, Beezel follows different generations of a family that’s being haunted by a witch inside of their own home. The madness continues on with their future kin moving into said house with little to no knowledge of the horrors that took place before.
Beezel’s plot is easy to follow, and there are certain scenes and graphic images that will stick with you like curse. It’s well worth a watch, if you’re into dread-inducing shocks and scares. Watching Beezel when I did felt like perfect timing, having just read book two of Anne Rice’s Lives of the Mayfair Witches. The difference here is that Rice’s witch stories are more fantasy based horror, whereas Beezel (although frightening and bizarre at times) feels more grounded in its approach to witchcraft. More “realistic” if you will. Seeing that the film takes place in Massachusetts only made the experience feel more authentic.
The setups with the “haunted” house feel familiar yet off. It’s a slice of Americana with a price, and that price includes blood. Lots and lots of blood. The overall plot and bits of dialog were well-written, using each of the segments as if they were a series of short films attached to an anthology. Each decade could be stretched into its own feature film, and no two segments feel alike. Each generation feels different, and judging from the direction it’s clear that director Aaron Fradkin is a big fan of the horror genre.
What I enjoyed most about Beezel is how well it incorporates old technology. I’m not a big fan of the “found footage” sub genre, but what sets Beezel apart from the rest is its use of different video formats. The story spans across six decades, and each segment in the film uses cameras from that time period. As someone who appreciates physical media, I loved how much the quality of each video format changes throughout the film. Think of it as film school from a certain point of view. It’s a great conduit for the scares and brutal violence. As a viewer you’re witnessing the evolution of home video with different aspect ratios capturing the horrors inside this Massachusetts home. This element alone creates dread and uneasiness, and it also makes the shocking ending all the more shocking.
Now that I mention it, shock value is where Beezel shines the most. Expect to see some graphic gore, some off camera shocks and a lot of squelching. What soured my enjoyment of the film a bit was the fact that everything gets revealed early on. Perhaps I was expecting more of a mystery with this story. It’s an easy to follow plot that gets explained within the first twenty minutes. Once the reveal and overall point to the film comes to light, you’re just along for the ride. It wouldn’t surprise me if Victoria Fratz (star and co-writer) and Aaron Fradkin used their own real life experiences to craft this story. Something about Beezel feels personal. At least that’s how it comes off in the dialog and choppy performances.
Overall, Beezel is a mildly original yet entertaining witch film. It has a great cast, marvelous cinematography and a musical score akin to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. The found footage elements were smartly used to elevate Beezel’s scare factor, and the use of special effects made for an uneasy gruesome experience. I personally think that the story would’ve benefited with a little more mystery. Perhaps that could be achieved with an expansion in the form of a prequel or sequel. Beezel a wonderfully written and well thought out atmospheric witch movie. A film that at times feels inspired by classic horror films of the past. Needless to say it’s a fitting entry in the Dread/Epic Pictures catalog.
Rating: 7 out of 10
