Since Accion Mutante and Day of the Beast in the early-’90s, Alex de la Iglesia has always demonstrated his off-kilter sensibilities within horror. His endeavors are never straight-up exercises in fear. There’s always a thread of humor. Something zany he brings to the table. At the core of it all, however, there’s always a lot of heart. While not purely “horror,” per se, I would point to his most recent genre effort, The Last Circus, as a keen example of Iglesia’s voice.
Witching & Bitching is no different.
One part supernatural romp, one part commentary on relationships, one part heist thriller, the film isn’t going to work for everyone, but if you’re accustomed to unconventional humor and Iglesia’s kooky shenanigans, then you’ll dig this one like I did. A heist kicks off the film’s series of events. Jose and Tony, a pair of thieves – aided by a bunch of inadequate goofballs – make off with some loot and Jose’s kid. They escape the cops with the help of a dude they carjacked. So, with their plan slightly screwed up, they head off into the country, en route to France. Along the way, however, they encounter a coven of witches, Jose’s angry ex-wife, a pair of investigators and a few other delicious, weird surprises.
Amid the display of special effects and bizarre twists (and I mean BIZARRE) there’s an amusing take on the male/female dynamic. The clashing that occurs in relationships, the pet peeves that are raised, or, the love that can be found, as evident in a subplot that involves Jose and a witch he meets (played by the knock-out Carolina Bang). The film can sometimes get caught up a bit too many times in this theme for my tastes but Iglesia’s humor is always on point and honest.
Witching & Bitching is a big film, too. It’s impressively slick with big FX and exciting set pieces including the third act finale which involves a cave packed with witches. The film should satisfy most of you out there. Even if the “war of the sexes” theme turns you off, you’ll still be spellbound by its high-paced antics.
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