80
Metascore
8 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Film ThreatLorry KiktaFilm ThreatLorry Kikta[A] mind-blowingly thorough and epic documentary.
- 91ConsequenceClint WorthingtonConsequenceClint WorthingtonThis is a three-hour documentary whose only problem is that it’s not even longer. Whether you’re a lifelong genre fiend or someone who just sampled Midsommar for the first time and needs another fix, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched is an absorbing academic exercise in the pedagogy of folk horror.
- 90SlashfilmMarisa MirabalSlashfilmMarisa MirabalFilled with thoughtful commentary, lush visuals and a myriad of perspectives, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror is a must-watch that chronicles humankind’s most intriguing cinematic stories.
- 83The Film StageChristopher SchobertThe Film StageChristopher SchobertRunning for more than three hours, overflowing with film clips, and populated by truly insightful experts, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror is a cinematic graduate-level course––in the best sense.
- 80IGNRafael MotamayorIGNRafael MotamayorThough it's hard to recommend this film to people without at least a passing interest in folk horror or folklore, those who stick with Woodlands Dark will find an expansive, practical, entertaining history lesson in a popular yet ill-defined subgenre of horror and come out the other side with a newfound appreciation for it.
- 80The GuardianLeslie FelperinThe GuardianLeslie FelperinWith its really smart deep dives into cultural criticism, this is a seasonal stocking overflowing with spooky fun.
- 75IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichTrusting that her subject matter is fertile enough to merit such a scholarly approach, and also bewitching enough to survive it, Janisse connects the dots between “The Wicker Man” and “La Llorona” in a way that allows this multi-chapter epic to function as both séance-like spectacle and streaming-era syllabus in equal measure.
- 70VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyA slippery thesis doesn’t detract from the pleasures of this documentary from genre scholar and programmer Kier-La Janisse. She draws on alluring clips from more than 100 films, plus myriad interviews, to survey an alternately lurid and surreal cinematic (as well as television) field of mostly rural tales inspired by traditional superstitions and lore.