Movie Review: “Moloch” Now Streaming On Shudder!
Moloch
2022, 99min runtime
Directed by Nico van den Brink
Streaming on Shudder
On the surface, “Moloch” is a bewitching folk horror tale featuring witchcraft, vengeful spirits, and ghosts. When you scratch away some of the superficial layers, it’s also a tale about generational trauma and the struggle of womanhood in a patriarchal society. It’s brutal, haunting, and unsettling. It’s also extremely Dutch, haha, I don’t know another way to put it! (I mean it in the nicest complimentary way, as it reminds me of some of the lovely Dutch people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing!) I loved that they leaned into folklore of the Netherlands (partially illustrated with a rather amusing school play) and that most of the language was Dutch with English interspersed. It has a cozy, folk-country atmosphere, filled with cozy hand-knits, countryside landscapes, warm wood furniture and old farmhouses, and little cafes. It’s also spooky as hell with rolling fog, woodland wandering, dead bodies turning up in marshes, and strangers sneaking through the old creaky farm house. It’s moody, eerie, creepy, intelligent, and thoughtful. Good spooky fun saved for a rainy evening, or perfect for a blustery, foggy autumn day with a mug of coffee or tea and a stroopwafel for authenticity.
Review by Ellen Avigliano
Twitter: @imaginariumartz
www.imaginariumarts.com
