The Love Witch

Italian-style horror meets Russ Meyer in this Technicolor riot.

Elaine (Samantha Robinson) is a beautiful young witch who uses spells and potions to make men fall in love with her. Her regular seductions of strangers lead to nights of passion followed by gruesome murders until, totally out of the blue, she meets the man of her dreams...

Writer-director-producer-composer-editor Anna Biller pays tribute to the brightly coloured look of the erotic thrillers of the 1960s with a touch of Russ Meyer’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls mixed in with 1950s’ melodrama and Italian ‘giallo’ horror. It is a unique combination.

The action takes place in the modern day, but were it not for the rare glimpse of a mobile phone, you’d think this was made in the 1960s. The highly watchable Samantha Robinson is terrific as the disturbed protagonist – she pitches her performance perfectly, capturing the style consistently and magnificently. It’s a star making turn. Anna Biller’s challenging Technicolor riot of a film is a visual feast, even if a bit repetitive and a touch too long.

GEORGE SAVVIDES

Cast: Samantha Robinson, Gian Keys, Laura Waddell, Jeffrey Vincent Parise, Jared Sanford, Robert Seeley, Jennifer Ingrum, April Showers.

Dir Anna Biller, Pro Anna Biller, Screenplay Anna Biller, Ph M. David Mullen, Pro Des Anna Biller, Ed Anna Biller, MusicAnna Biller, Costumes Anna Biller.

Anna Biller Productions-Icon.
120 mins. USA. 2016. Rel: 10 March 2017. Cert. 15.