Witches, whether it is the kind that the kid next door dresses up as for Halloween or the one that supposedly haunts the woods behind one’s backyard, are a pastime. Beginning with spoken stories and continuing in contemporary arts such as books, music, and film, witches seem among the scariest and most popular nightmares.
With all of this in mind, from the depths of Screenwriter Chris Retts’ mind comes a new Thriller-Mystery film, The Calling. Premiering on June 21, 2025, and on a festival run through the summer of 2025, the film was picked up for distribution through Vantage Media and is now set for release on Amazon, Vubiquity, Fandango/Vudu, and DirecTV. Retitled as The Calling Witch, it tells the story of a brother and sister who are terrorized by what seems to be the protagonist from their late mother’s novel, The Calling.
Directed by Mark Wilson (Wade In The Water 2019, The Painted Warrior 2019), The Calling Witch features a cast of Danika Golombek (7 Witches 2017, I Am the Night series), Grayson Eddey (The Sinner 2017, City on a Hill series), Marcus DeAnda (Better Call Saul series, Lioness 2023), Hilary Barraford (Go For Sisters 2013, Equal Standards 2020), and Nathalie Söderqvist (Miss Julie 2013, The Look-see series).
Not long after their mother, Meredith (Barraford), commits suicide, Virginia (Golombeck) moves back home to help take care of her little brother, Edward (Eddey). Soon, they begin to receive terrifying warnings, starting with someone breaking into their late mother’s work shed. Things really take a turn when they find Edwards’ cat stuffed into the belly of one of their late mother’s statues.
While the story is quite compelling and the acting is decent, at times, The Calling Witch feels somewhat rushed. Granted, most witch films tend to drag on and on, but this one does not linger too much on any one aspect. It is actually quite to the point. Though most love a good, quick, and to-the-point film, this one could have lingered on a few more ‘happenings’ or ‘strange misgivings.’
Furthermore, the ‘witch’ portrayal by Nathalie Söderqvist is quite interesting. The ‘witch’ is only seen in glimpses and is not truly revealed til close to the ending. However, Söderqvist does play this role to the T. Granted, you never really consider the climax until the so-called ‘witch’ is finally revealed. The story provides hints here and there through the radio announcements and the subtle movements of the characters.
Overall, The Calling Witch is a film that you might go into thinking you are about to watch a Horror film, but ends up being a suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat kind of film with an unexpected ending. A film that will have your gears turning, and featuring some solid acting, Cryptic Rock gives The Calling Witch 5 out of 5 stars.
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