Häxan
A pioneering silent hybrid of historical lecture, supernatural spectacle, and social critique that exposes the terrifying machinery of witch-hunt hysteria.
Overview
A chilling exploration of humanity's darkest fears and superstitions surrounding witchcraft.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- eerie
- provocative
- grotesque
- late night cinephile viewing
- silent film retrospective
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Häxan as a highly inventive and influential hybrid whose grotesque imagery, production design, and critique of superstition remain unnerving despite its unconventional form.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film shifts between history lesson material and acted re-enactments of witchcraft, inquisitorial persecution, and hysteria.
Primitive-painting-like characters, elaborate costumes, demonic figures, torture scenes, and fantastical effects create a macabre tableau aesthetic.
The film connects witch hunts, religious authority, torture, and delusion to collective anxiety and social control.
Illustrated lecture, historical reconstruction, special-effects fantasy, and modern-dress drama coexist within one essayistic structure.
Films like Häxan, and why
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
boundary-crossing silent horror, grotesque historical imagery, and subversive treatment of superstition
The Phantom Carriage
surrealist visual invention, demonic imagery, and macabre theatricality in silent cinema
Man with a Movie Camera
experimental documentary form, staged historical episodes, and unsettling social critique
The Witch
witchcraft, religious hysteria, and psychologically disturbing period horror
Movie Details
- Director
- Benjamin Christensen
- Release Date
- 1922-09-18
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (457)
Cast
- Benjamin Christensen
- Ella La Cour
- Emmy Schønfeld
- Kate Fabian
- Oscar Stribolt
- Wilhelmine Henriksen
- Elisabeth Christensen
- Astrid Holm
- Karen Winther
- Maren Pedersen
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Brew, GuideDoc, Eternal Family, HBO Max, Bloodstream
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Häxan about?
- A pioneering silent hybrid of historical lecture, supernatural spectacle, and social critique that exposes the terrifying machinery of witch-hunt hysteria.
- What is Häxan like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Häxan as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Häxan violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Häxan as graphic.
- What did critics think of Häxan?
- Critics broadly regard Häxan as a highly inventive and influential hybrid whose grotesque imagery, production design, and critique of superstition remain unnerving despite its unconventional form.
- Which films are like Häxan?
- Films with a similar feel include The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The Phantom Carriage, Man with a Movie Camera, and The Witch.
- How long is Häxan?
- Häxan runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Häxan?
- In United States, Häxan streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Brew, GuideDoc, Eternal Family, HBO Max, Bloodstream.
