Fantastic Fest 2024: Witte Wieven (Heresy) Review

Directed by: Didier Konings
Written by: Marc S. Nollkaemper

Starring:
Anneke Sluiters – Frieda
Len Leo Vincent – Hikko
Reinout Bussemaker – Bartholomeus
Nola Kemper – Sasha
Léon van Waas – Gelo
Sam Post – Dark Wief
Easy May Walker – Wief

Image Credit: Make Way Films

Running Time: 61 minutes
Not Rated

I love a good folk horror film. There isn’t a bad subgenre in horror in my book, to be fair. But give me a period piece delving into the collision of civilization and/or faith against the Old Ways and I’ll be first in line. Folk horror is perfectly pitched to deliver heavy doses of dread and foreboding, slowly building in intensity before the inevitable horrific conclusion.

And that’s exactly what we get in Witte Wieven (aka Heresy), which screened at Fantastic Fest over the weekend. Didier Konings, who has an extensive career as a visual effects and concept artist, has crafted a film with echoes of The Witch but tells its own story about the struggles of a woman against the strict religious dogma and patriarchal cruelties of her isolated Dutch village in the Dark Ages.

As Witte Wieven opens, Frieda (Anneke Sluiters) is struggling over her inability to have a child with her husband Hikko (Len Leo Vincent). She prays incessantly for God to become pregnant and pleads with local priest Bartolomeus (Reinout Bussemaker) for aid. But there’s little sign that her devoutness is proving fruitful. Hikko is supportive – unless there’s even a hint of suggestion that it has to do with him, at which point he threateningly insists that Frieda’s womb is the issue and not anything to do with him.

Frieda isn’t the only person with problems in the town. The butcher Gelo (Léon van Waas) has just been let out of imprisonment for the sin of lust. Gelo is far from reformed though; he blames his wife Sasha for his failings and comes onto Frieda. When he catches Frieda outside the village, he tries to assault her and she flees into the forest. When she returns but Gelo doesn’t, the village becomes suspicious of her and whispers she may be in league with the dark forces believed to lie in the woods.

This conflict between faith and folklore is a perfect premise for folk horror, and Konings makes the most of it. Marc Nollkaemper’s script focuses on Frieda and her doubts, the use of religion as a control mechanism, and how quickly zealotry can make a town turn against one of their own. There may or may not be something dangerous in the woods, but Frieda is under just as much risk from her monster of a husband who stops her from self-flagellating at one point so that he can ensure it’s done right.

Koning’s background in art design is put to wonderful use in crafting the look and feel of the village and particularly what lies outside it. He and cinematographer Luuk de Kok use the dark corners of the village and the traditional lighting to hint at the oppressive nature of the town, and the tall trees that surround the village as a home for hidden things that don’t have much patience for the evils of man.

At a tight 61 minutes, Konings doesn’t have time for fluff or meandering and he keeps things moving along briskly without rushing the story. Sluiters exhibits star power in the lead role and while the focus is on atmosphere and suspense, there are a few moments of shocking gore that pop. This is classic folk horror told in an hour’s time, and it finishes off with a memorable and satisfying conclusion.

Fantastic Fest takes place in Austin, Texas from September 19th through the 26th.

8.0

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

Witte Wieven is an gorgeously haunting tale of folk horror with some extremely topical themes despite its period setting. Amanda Sluiters shines in the lead role and director Didier Konings makes the most of his running time, using his strengths as a visual artist to complement his movie's story. The plot beats may feel familiar, but the exquisite execution makes it well worth the watch.