Midsommar Woodland Dark Days Bewitched

Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk is an epic ode to what scares us most

“Films that draw in the horror of folkloric traditions still resonate, appealing to a general malaise about contemporary life and the horrific face of our terrible past.”

One of the most exciting questions at the heart of Kier-La Janisse’s epic 194-minute documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk is the examination of the sub-genre’s enduring appeal. In our modern world and our current way of life, films that draw in the horror of folkloric traditions still resonate. Many of these films bridge a fine line between aspiration and horror, appealing to a general malaise about contemporary life and the horrific face of our terrible past. From The Wicker Man to Midsommar, audiences are hungry for these stories where old-world religions return. 

With an impressive panel of expert talking heads, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched offers a thorough history of folk horror. While divided into many chapter heads, the film is more broadly organized geographically. We begin in the U.K., move to the USA and broaden to an international view. While covering some major titles, many films will also be unknown or unseen even by the most voracious genre viewer. The approach is comprehensive, intersectional and informed. Its thoroughness achieves a rare balance of welcoming newbies without alienating a more expert audience. 

Walking away from the film, you’re not only flush with new knowledge but also a greater sense of anxiety. While this might be uncomfortable (life sucks, why do you want more discomfort), it speaks to how deeply these stories resonate. The themes explored in folk horror touch deeply on how we live and how we engage with history. These films are about the horrors of colonialism, the tensions between rural and urban environments and the inability to adjust to new ways. Though the films vary in tone and approach, they all touch on the difficulty of facing our histories. 

The Wicker Man Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk
The Wicker Man

While this film has been in the making for years and touches on over a century of stories, it’s difficult not to relate these ideas to the current moment. 

Colonialism emerges time and time again as an enduring theme, particularly in examining Australia’s folk horror legacy (undoubtedly, if Canada had a richer folk horror tradition on screen, it would necessarily explore many of the same ideas). It challenges the notion of benevolence not only of missionaries but modern life, supposing that our monstrosity is as stark and horrifying as the oppressors of the past. What happens when you build a society on top of someone else? What emerges from this question uncovers uncomfortable truths about colonial relationships with the land and the refusal to acknowledge dark histories. 

The approach offers a complex and enriching perspective on the way we tell stories and how they shape our understanding of the world around us. The film’s intersectional approach also deconstructs and re-contextualizes certain tropes. One of the talking heads, Jesse Wente, discusses at length the trope of the “Indian burial ground,” which is foundational to many horror films, including Pet Semetary and The Shining. Among many ideas in the film, at several points experts discuss how art can shape our view of history and even (sometimes) act as a stand-in for it. 

The Shining Indian burial ground Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk
The Shining

One of the other minor themes that feel particularly apt is the idea that “isolation breeds insanity.” It’s present in many films that intersect with cult beliefs but is also explored in films like The Wind (1928 & 2018). As the world seems to be crumbling around new cultish beliefs (from QANON to anti-vax conspiracies), it’s difficult not to relate the growth of these notions to the increased isolation of the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, these ideas fit into many other folk-horror concepts, particularly the fear of change and an inability to cope with a changing world. 

Tangentially connected to this idea, the film Midsommar stands out as one that also explores how modern life fails to give us space to mourn. The same conditions that lead to insanity rob us of freedom and community to remember those lost and even face death. Without overtly romanticizing the cultish surroundings of the isolated town, Ari Aster utilizes the remote and folkloric village to explore what we are missing from modern life. While it does ultimately seem to be a lose-lose situation, these films nonetheless speak as much to what we lack as what we fear. 

That idea, that folk horror presents us with a sense of longing as much as it does fear, is at the root of the appeal of Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk. It’s a precise and comprehensive documentary but also speaks to the emotional side of horror. Why do we willingly subject ourselves to art that makes us uncomfortable? It’s more than just adrenaline, and it’s an opportunity to explore our anxieties and fears. 

Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk directed by Kier-La Janisse

Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk is available to stream on Shudder


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