The past is never dead. It’s not even past. It’s an idea introduced by writer William Faulkner and, thematically, it is present as the day is long in Writer/Director Tereza Nvotová’s hauntingly beautiful film, Nightsiren.
Operating as pure visual poetry with a damn fine message, the film hits hard on multiple layers, establishing Nvotová as a filmmaker on the rise - especially when it comes to cultural studies on community fears and filmic meditations concerning character - as one young lady dares to rise against stubborn beliefs.
Nightsiren is a calling card you definitely do not want to turn a deaf ear to.
Already an award-winning horror-drama at film festivals, the movie has been scheduled for a September 22 limited theatrical release in North America and the film, filling in as a folk horror entry with an emphasis on character study, is far and away deserving of even more screenings thanks to its achingly spot-on atmosphere and in what it has to say about the human condition as one woman, a survivor of past turmoil, finds herself at the very center of rumors among the locals.
Written by Barbora Namerova and Nvotová, Nightsiren begins with an oppressive pounding and it ends with spiritual rebirth of sorts. It is quite the journey through darkness to get even a glimpse of sunlight as a tragic accident sends one sister into the woods . . . only to reappear twenty years later.
Set in a secluded mountain village, the film tells the story of two sisters who endure a tumultuous upbringing under the tyranny of their abusive mother. One fateful day, a tragic accident occurs when the elder sister, Šarlota, flees into the surrounding woods, closely followed by her younger sister, Tamara. What happens is quick and finite.
And it is damn disturbing.
Yet, the blame for their disappearance falls upon Otyla, a Roma woman residing on the outskirts of the village. Accused of witchcraft, Otyla becomes a scapegoat for the sisters' vanishing.
And then Šarlota unexpectedly returns to the village twenty years later, stirring suspicion and unease among the locals. She wants the truth about her past, yet the community has little trust in her reappearance, causing an air of suspicion to follow her back through the woods and deep into the mountain community. With prejudice and superstition as their guides, they cling to their beliefs and force her toward an injustice that she might not be strong enough to survive.
Blaming Šarlota for conjuring the spirit of Otyla, Nightsiren weaves a haunting narrative, immersing viewers in a tale of secrets, injustice, and the resilience of the human spirit. It explores the search for truth, the power of friendship, and the fight against prejudice in a remote village gripped by suspicion and the remnants of a painful history.
It will open on September 22nd in select theatres from Breaking Glass Pictures.
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 106 mins
Director: Tereza Nvotová
Writer: Barbora Namerova; Tereza Nvotová
Cast: Natalia Germani ; Eva Mores;Juliana Olhová
Genre: Drama | Horror | Mystery
Tagline: Be Witched.
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Breaking Glass Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: September 22, 2023
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: A young woman returns to her native mountain village, searching for answers about her troubled childhood, but as she tries to uncover the truth, ancient superstitions lead the villagers to accuse her of witchcraft and murder.
