'Children of Men' Director Alfonso Cuarón Says This New-to-Hulu Movie Is One of the Greatest Psychological Horrors Ever Made -

Revenge flicks like those in the Death Wish series are usually brutally violent, and that’s always been part of the appeal, for better or for worse. Female-led revenge horror often centers around sexual assault that’s shown in disturbingly graphic detail, I Spit on Your Grave being one of the most infamous examples. Part of the appeal of these movies is the catharsis of seeing terrible people get their comeuppance, but they can easily become exploitative themselves when such an emphasis is placed on depicting the abuse of the women rather than just their revenge. She Will is a much quieter take on the woman’s revenge story, focusing more on the healing process rather than the triggering event, even though said process does involve killing abusers through the power of witchcraft – “quieter” doesn’t necessarily mean “softer.” Writer and director Charlotte Colbert’s debut film is dripping with Gothic atmosphere instead of blood, and while it doesn’t sensationalize violence against women, it isn’t afraid to address how very real such violence is for both modern women and their ancestors.

‘She Will’ Drew the Attention of Directors Alfonso Cuaron and Dario Argento

A horrifically burned woman tied to a tree and wearing a metal face mask in She Will. — Image via Vertigo Releasing

In She Will, Alice Krige plays Veronica Ghent, an aging actress most famous for her break-out role when she was 13. Now in her 60s, she’s struggling with a recent battle with breast cancer and the news that her iconic film is being remade by the same director (Malcolm McDowell), who had an abusive dynamic with Veronica when she was a young girl. As part of her recovery from surgery, Veronica goes with her nurse, Desi (Kota Eberhardt), to a remote resort in Scotland. The resort was once a site of execution for women accused of witchcraft, and it’s said that the ashes of their burnings still permeate the soil. Through very strange dreams and apparent sleepwalking, Veronica begins to feel the land’s history of deadly witch hunts take hold of her, giving her a supernatural power to exact revenge on the men who’ve harmed her and her companion.

The face of a young woman with a dead bird laid out across it in Thelma.

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Similar to Crimson Peak, She Will is much more about Gothic atmosphere and eeriness rather than outright scares. There are a handful of deaths in the movie, but even someone being sucked down into the earth is more unsettling than it is gory or disturbing. The choir-heavy score is chilling and often paired with strange, symbolic imagery mixed into the more literal action of the plot; director Alfonso Cuarón praised this aspect in particular, saying the film conveys a “metaphysical ecstasy” in a “powerful debut.” And it isn’t only Cuarón who recognized the dark beauty of the film. Dario Argento joined as executive producer after seeing the film and hearing the “excitement” about it on the festival circuit. “I want to support new voices,” Argento said of his choice to back the film, “especially women’s voices.” And it’s no wonder She Will attracted the attention of a giallo master, as the influences of the subgenre are clear with the heavy symbolism, dream-like sequences, and a strong female protagonist.

‘She Will’ Ties the History of Witch Hunts to the Modern Patriarchy

Witchcraft in horror movies used to mean evil old crones or even a sultry seductress using magic powers to harm others for their own gain; witches were villains, through and through, and usually based on old stereotypes more than anything based in reality. She Will’s legacy of witchcraft is a blend of the supernatural and the idea that innocent women were executed as witches as a method of control in a patriarchal society. Veronica represents how the marginalization of women continues today in many forms, because it isn’t just McDowell’s character who wrongs her; she’s constantly reminded of her breakthrough role from when she was just 13 and is often compared to that much younger version of herself. She’s implied to have had several plastic surgery procedures, and she’s devastated by the need to have a double mastectomy that further “reduces” her beauty in the eyes of her critics and fans. Even at the resort she visits in order to recover, she’s bombarded by men insistent on their own male-centric point of view or who outright dismiss the idea of toxic masculinity and the power imbalance between men and women.

While women may no longer be tortured for being witches, Veronica’s experience shows how men in power still work to suppress or undermine women for their own gains. But, possibly even more importantly, Veronica also represents the power of fellowship between women. Whether the ghosts of the past simply recognize a fellow woman who’s suffered at the hands of powerful men and want to help her get revenge, or if Krige’s character is some form of reincarnated witch herself isn’t 100% clear, but either interpretation works to carry the movie’s message. Regardless of its source, Veronica finds the power to exact revenge on her childhood abuser, and she also uses it to save Desi from a similar assault.

There’s something frightening and beautiful about She Will’s women expressing their grief and rage through the supernatural. But ultimately, it’s not only about women taking their power back, but the importance of both supporting and leaning on other women to do so.