HEX: Civil War Witchcraft Avoids Being Run Of The Mill
If you know me or have read any of my stuff, you probably know I love horror more than any other genre. But I’m also a history nerd too, so when I heard about Hex a few months ago I was intrigued by the story of witchcraft during the English Civil War (especially as it was filmed near me). And when the screener landed in the Film Daddy inbox, I immediately called dibs (the dibs system works for us, don’t judge). I really couldn’t wait to watch this film.
The film’s story revolves around two opposing soldiers who, after battling against each other, are forced to forge an uneasy alliance while being stalked and trapped in the woods by a witch. The story sounds a little cliched and overdone, but it’s a testament to director George Popov that he managed to keep the story feeling fresh and my attention focused on the film where it could have waned. That said, some of the scenes did feel like they ran a little long and could have been a minute or two shorter. I think this could have been due to the lack of dialogue in these scenes; however, the soundtrack does its best to add to the film’s tension and works well in most scenes.
Hex was filmed in in the Staffordshire and Derbyshire woodlands, and they couldn’t have chosen a better spot for the film’s location. With acres of historic woodland to film in, Hex takes full advantage of them but also uses it to give the film a claustrophobic feel, akin to the Blair Witch Project and other films of the same ilk. The costumes look great and considering that the total budget of the film was £1000 they must have taken up a considerable amount. Daniel Oldroyd and William Young have a good onscreen chemistry and I would like to see them work together again in another film.
For a film that had a micro-budget and minimal cast and crew Hex does well to steer clear of the pitfalls that it could have easily gone towards and manages to produce an enjoyable film that all involved should be proud of.
Hex is available on Amazon Prime, Blu-ray and DVD.
