A while back, I featured this film on a list of awesome shorts; today, I’m still thinking about Venefica and how it deserves its own review. Venefica actually had quite a big impact on me.
Penelope is a modern-day witch about to undergo a ritual right of passage. She is alone in a cabin. Alone, with a man. Anxious and pondering, Penelope calls her mom for guidance on what she is about to do. As a witch, she has the power to use her magic for good or evil. The thing is, she herself cannot choose; it must be chosen for her through this ritual. As she readies herself for revealing her destiny, the man — who is being kept against his will — can only sit an wait for the final answer and whether he will live or die.
I have been thinking about Venefica since first watching it on Shudder. I am a sucker for witch movies, whether it be a 1500s Germanic drama or a Millennial doing magic and selling weed and crystals on the side. Venefica is kind of a mix between the two; we have a young, Black witch (just wanted to point that out because we stan diversity!) doing old school magic work that we might see in The Witch. Venefica is Hellbender, before Hellbender! That alone is important to recognize because we’re currently in a time of a witch revival, with many young people (especially women) partaking in some form of witchcraft. With such a broad scope of how people do their practice (crystals, spell work, covens, candle magic, divination and palmistry, etc.) we’re bound to double back to some of the tried and true rituals that we are familiar with seeing witches use, for example, Penelope’s broomstick and bloodletting.
Besides the obvious connections that I made between myself and Penelope, Venefica showed that you could make so much with so little (kinda like witchcraft itself). Done on a micro-budget of $1000, writer/director Maria Wilson filmed more story in 7 minutes than a lot of bigger filmmakers do in 120. We see the inner struggles and second thoughts that Penelope (also played by Wilson) is dealing with. We feel the connection to both her craft and her mother. We empathize with the man’s (Will Harrison) want to leave the situation, and what does — or doesn’t — happen to him at the end. All of this is set to the cosmically gorgeous background of the Adirondacks. I couldn’t ask for more; and if I did, it’s not like the movie would need it, as it’s a perfect under 10-minute film.
Not only that, but Venefica showed witchcraft in a light that not many other films do. Witchcraft can be used for a variety of things depending on what you’re practicing and who you’re asking. Here, it’s shown as pretty black-and-white with good vs. evil (not unlike Harry Potter); the “consequence” of Penelope’s fate, however, is not so black-and-white. Because good and evil are in the eye of the beholder, Penelope isn’t really anxious about whether she will be seen as good or bad, she’s more anxious about what her life will look like after this ritual — as in, she is the same kind of nervous a person would get about a coin flip getting heads or tails. There is no “bad” choice or fate, it just is. Clearly, she is happy with her end result and would be happy regardless of its outcome.
I’m not surprised Venefica was selected to view at so many festivals, winning awards here and there. It’s a brilliant movie and a fantastic, tasteful depiction of the modern witch. When I said at the beginning that I couldn’t stop thinking about this film, I meant it. I didn’t realize until now how much of a reflection I saw between myself and Penelope, especially now that I have started my own journey in witchcraft. I loved Venefica, and encourage everyone to see it, especially those interested in the occult. It’s certainly 7 minutes well spent.
What did you think of Venefica? Let us know in the comments!
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