. . . and her cries for help echo through the woods.
Opening with two sad, yet unrelated events, The Hanged Girl - which starts in the 1800s with a smallpox outbreak - brings its winding narrative together through an engagement party as a group of friends - most young doctors - go on a holiday to St. Joseph’s Guesthouse. Fishing and smoking weed is on the agenda. You know, the typical stuff for young people to engage in while relaxing.
At least it’s not hanging girls and accusing them of witchcraft! But wait. There is a cosplay human sacrifice involved. Seriously. Medical professionals? It’s all in good fun, though. Or is it?
Because St. Joseph’s Guesthouse is haunted by the spirit of The Hanged Girl. That’s right, the innocent girl seen in the opening of the movie and everyone seems to know it but Dr. Lily Khan (Tal Hymans, The Reckoning, I Am Woman), who earned our sympathies from the very bad horrible day she was having early in the film.
Her fiance, Kit (Alec Snow, Home and Away) and his sister, Rachel (Tara Jay, 1500 Steps, The Gauntlet), really ought to know better. But, since we are dealing with the dark side of humanity’s history here, we accept it and with good reason as the whole trip soon devolves from a centuries old haunt. 
This church is not just haunted; it’s angry. Spirits are seen, a storm rolls in, and, quite suddenly, The Hanged Girl is upon us with a force and an atmosphere that is quite strong. But this is not the ghost story you are expecting . . . which is a good thing. There are many surprises and, in keeping with the dark and weighty atmosphere of the past, it all revolves around some really human connections.
And that doesn’t make it any less horrific.
The Hanged Girl is an unrelenting delight if you are keen to more horror and blood and less spooks. That’s about all I will say involving its twisty ways and means. The less you know about this Australian haunt, the better. Directed by JD Cohen (Ravenswood), The Hanged Girl works in surprising and gristly ways. It’s not at all what is advertised by the trailers, but it works hard to create its own horror story.
Co-starring Elke Hinrichsen and Melissa Brattoni, The Hanged Girl will release on Digital and DVD September 5, 2023 from Uncork’d Entertainment.
. . . and STILL her cries for help echo through the woods.
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 98 mins
Director: J.D. Cohen
Writer: J.D. Cohen
Cast: Tal Hymans, Alex Snow, Tara Jay, and Elke Hinrichsen
Genre: Horror
Tagline: The Legend is Real
Memorable Movie Quote:
Theatrical Distributor: Uncork'd Entertainment
Official Site:
Release Date: September 5, 2023
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Tells of a group of friends that go on a holiday to St. Joseph's Guesthouse, unaware that it was the site of accused witchcraft and a sacrifice of an innocent girl centuries before. They soon realize that it may be haunted by the spirit of The Hanged Girl.
