Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- eerie
- nightmarish
- oppressive
- classic horror night
- folk horror marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a colorful and genuinely frightening folk-horror classic whose inventive practical effects, production design, pacing, and lead performance remain impressive.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The village setting, witchcraft, evil spirits, and demon Viy emerge from Slavic folkloric tradition.
Aleksandr Ptushko's practical and in-camera effects animate flying demons, the witch, the corpse, and the monstrous final apparition.
Khoma must pray over the dead young woman for three locked nights inside the church while supernatural attacks escalate.
The novice monk's prayers and spiritual convictions are tested by witches, demons, and the threat to his soul.
Films like Viy, and why
The Wicker Man
folk horror, rural superstition, demonic forces, and a young religious protagonist confronting supernatural dread
The Company of Wolves
colorful gothic fantasy, nocturnal supernatural encounters, and theatrical practical effects
Pan's Labyrinth
dark fairytale atmosphere, folkloric evil, and stylized visual invention rooted in regional legend
The Haunting
classic supernatural horror built around haunted spaces, escalating dread, and memorable practical effects
Movie Details
- Directors
- Georgi Kropachyov, Konstantin Ershov
- Release Date
- 1967-11-27
- Runtime
- 76 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (295)
Cast
- Leonid Kuravlyov
- Natalya Varley
- Aleksey Glazyrin
- Nikolay Kutuzov
- Vadim Zakharchenko
- Petro Vesklyarov
- Vladimir Salnikov
- Dmytro Kapka
- Stepan Shkurat
- Georgiy Sochevko
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Night Flight Plus, Screambox Amazon Channel, Eternal Family, Klassiki, Troma NOW, Bloodstream, Chilling
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Viy about?
- A novice monk faces three nights of witchcraft and demonic terror while praying over a dead woman in an isolated church.
- What is Viy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Viy as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Viy violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Viy as mild.
- What did critics think of Viy?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a colorful and genuinely frightening folk-horror classic whose inventive practical effects, production design, pacing, and lead performance remain impressive.
- Which films are like Viy?
- Films with a similar feel include The Wicker Man, The Company of Wolves, Pan's Labyrinth, and The Haunting.
- How long is Viy?
- Viy runs 76 minutes.
- Where can I watch Viy?
- In United States, Viy streams on Night Flight Plus, Screambox Amazon Channel, Eternal Family, Klassiki, Troma NOW, Bloodstream, Chilling.
