The Wretched (2019)

A defiant teenage boy, struggling with his parents' imminent divorce, faces off with a thousand year-old witch, who is living beneath the skin of and posing as the woman next door.

Directors:

Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce

Writers:

Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce

Stars:

John-Paul Howard, Piper Curda, Jamison Jones

4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John-Paul Howard	...	Ben
Piper Curda	...	Mallory
Jamison Jones	...	Liam
Azie Tesfai	...	Sara
Zarah Mahler	...	Abbie
Kevin Bigley	...	Ty
Gabriela Quezada Bloomgarden	...	JJ
Richard Ellis	...	Gage
Blane Crockarell	...	Dillon
Judah Abner Paul	...	Nathan
Ja'layah Washington	...	Lily
Amy Waller	...	Nora
Ross Kidder	...	Officer Guthrie
Kasey Bell	...	Officer Kopitar
Harry Burkey	...	Old Fisherman

Storyline

A defiant teenage boy, struggling with his parents' imminent divorce, faces off with a thousand year-old witch, who is living beneath the skin of and posing as the woman next door.

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Plot Keywords:

taking off someone's underwear | embarrassing male nudity | embarrassing nudity | woman wrapped in a towel | daisy dukes | 

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Taglines:

Something wicked wants inside.

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Technically this was the #1 theatrical film in North America for five weeks in May 2020, though this was by virtue of being one of the only films playing, as most theaters were closed and most films were out of circulation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Goofs

Earlier in the film Ben is playing Connect 4 with his father. He plays his turn dropping a red disc into the grid but he already had won (there's a diagonal line of four red pieces next to his move). However, there's a possibility he did not see it or call it.

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Connections

Featured in WhatCulture Horror: 8 Creepiest Horror Movie Monsters In Disguise (2020)

User Reviews

Polished but muddled

The Wretched is a lovely looking movie. Nicely acted and shot, with decent, practical special effects. I struggled with the story, which was ultimately a bit un-interesting.

Ben visits his father at a lakeside town. Some kind of demon-thing lives under a tree and has the power to cast a spell on people such that they 'forget' about the existence of loved ones around them. Paranoia sets in for Ben when neighbours are acting strangely ...

It's a well-edited mainstream pleaser but hanging off a story which doesn't add up very well. Some elements are great but it feels like another short that has prematurely evolved into a lacking feature, devoid of tension and scares.

It was well-received at FrightFest; I felt I was in the minority who didn't quite get it. If you're a fan of spooky, ghost/wraith type horror, it's entirely possible you might enjoy The Wretched. I didn't dislike it but nor did I take much away from it.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 May 2020 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Wretched

Filming Locations:

Northport, Michigan, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$65,908, 3 May 2020

Gross USA:

$1,814,193

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,344,913

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cailleach Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39:1