Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- campy
- erotic
- eerie
- cult movie night
- halloween viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's absorbing visual homage to bygone Technicolor cinema and its thought-provoking meditation on gender relations, despite reservations about the story's imperfections.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Its visual style explicitly pays tribute to 1970s Technicolor thrillers while maintaining a carefully composed retro surface.
Elaine's pursuit of male love and the consequences of her spells turn romantic fantasy into a critique of gender expectations.
The plot explicitly frames Elaine's desperation to be loved as pathological narcissism, producing a string of victims.
The film combines comedy horror, theatrical performances, occult melodrama, and dark consequences rather than pursuing naturalistic fright.
Films like The Love Witch, and why
The Company of Wolves
stylized feminist horror, heightened sexuality, and a critique of gender relations
Daughters of Darkness
camp-inflected occult horror with vivid retro aesthetics and female-centered sexuality
Possession
provocative erotic horror using stylization and psychological unease to explore desire
Berberian Sound Studio
retro visual pastiche, dark comedy, and unsettling themes of sexual power
Movie Details
- Director
- Anna Biller
- Release Date
- 2016-11-11
- Runtime
- 121 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (658)
Cast
- Samantha Robinson
- Gian Keys
- Laura Waddell
- Jeffrey Vincent Parise
- Jared Sanford
- Robert Seeley
- Jennifer Ingrum
- Randy Evans
- Clive Ashborn
- Lily Holleman
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Peacock Premium, Philo, Night Flight Plus, Fandor Amazon Channel, Screambox Amazon Channel, Cineverse, Midnight Pulp, Peacock Premium Plus, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Love Witch about?
- A visually immaculate witch turns romantic longing into a lurid, darkly comic nightmare of seduction, control, and emotional ruin.
- What is The Love Witch like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Love Witch as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Love Witch violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Love Witch as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Love Witch?
- Critics broadly praised the film's absorbing visual homage to bygone Technicolor cinema and its thought-provoking meditation on gender relations, despite reservations about the story's imperfections.
- Which films are like The Love Witch?
- Films with a similar feel include The Company of Wolves, Daughters of Darkness, Possession, and Berberian Sound Studio.
- How long is The Love Witch?
- The Love Witch runs 121 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Love Witch?
- In United States, The Love Witch streams on Peacock Premium, Philo, Night Flight Plus, Fandor Amazon Channel, Screambox Amazon Channel, Cineverse, Midnight Pulp, Peacock Premium Plus, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
