Halloween is just around the corner and the trick-or-treating candy will begin to pile up, but horror-comedy films are a treat that you can enjoy year-round. Sure, they’re usually over-saturated with taste and they may contain a few nutty elements, but they’re still an enjoyable way to break your cinematic diet and spoil yourself rotten. Director Álex de la Iglesia’s new film “Las Brujas de Zugarramurdi” (“Witching and Bitching”) is just that: imperfect and unhealthy filler that leads you down a road of wasted potential, but still crazy enough to give you a moderate sugar high for a couple of hours.
As the English title might suggest, the film is a comeuppance for men who spitefully disregard women on the basis of gender alone. Two of said men, José and Antonio (Hugo Silva and Mario Casas) are on the run after a successful gold heist, roping in José’s son Sergio (Gabriel Delgado) and an unsuspecting taxi driver (Jaime Ordóñez) in the process. While passing through the old village of Zugarramurdi in southern Spain, they cross paths with three relentless women who use their supernatural powers to hold the men hostage. While trying to make it out with their lives, the men’s plan becomes complicated when Sergio is held captive by the witch leader (Carmen Maura), while her daughter, Eva (Carolina Bang), falls head over heels for José himself.
The film is executed at a breakneck speed, combining quick jokes with as many visual gags as possible while skimming the border into hyperactive absurdity. At times it feels very loaded and even overwhelming, but its chaotic action and general bizarreness keeps it amusing. While the comedy tends to overwhelm the horror aspects of the film it does occasionally manage to exhibit a freakish and grotesque side to appeal to the scary-movie buffs.
What makes the film somewhat notable compared to other midnight-movie fare is de la Iglesia’s brash yet invigorating way of approaching the topic of gender roles, especially since the film is rooted within genres that are typically saturated with casual sexism and other clichés. The film takes the base concept of misogyny, not only being a hatred of women but a deep-seeded fear of them, and gives it a literal spin. In this case, the male protagonists have much to fear regarding the women of Zugarramurdi, not because they’ll rob them of their manhood and patriarchal freedoms but because they’ll actually eat them or sacrificially burn them at the stake. This thematic twist even yields some good messages about gender roles in romantic relationships. For example, when the elderly witches condemn Eva’s infatuation with José and proclaim that he will make her change her entire character to satisfy his needs, he retorts by saying: “She’s feisty, and I like her just how she is!” It’s a dynamic character change that is refreshingly positive while simultaneously offering a commendable message.
But the film falls apart because it doesn’t have the courage to stick wholeheartedly to its statements. De la Iglesia resorts to stereotypes to garner cheap laughs; from the bumbling idiot husbands and passive-aggressive, micro-managing women, to the “don’t-you-hate-these-random-little-things” references spouted by multiple characters towards those of the opposite sex. It works for the first part of the film to help set the theme and get a few early chuckles out of the audience, but it hampers the more serious elements of the story that could have resulted in a mini-game-changer of a film. On top of that de la Iglesia’s scattered and frenetic storytelling compliments the rapid-fire comedic pacing at the start, but it soon wears thin and makes the rest of the film a challenge to follow. It is disappointing because even a film this bat-shit insane should still be anchored in some regard.
Overall it serves its purpose of being far-out popcorn fare for the insomniac filmgoers. “Witching and Bitching” is the perfect film for late-night viewing, requiring little attention and a good sense of fun. If you fit those qualifications, then by all means, take the trip down to this witch-infested hellhole, the ladies will be waiting for you!
Rating: 6/10