The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw (2020)

(On Cable TV, August 2021) I’m sensing a budding horror subgenre of historical witchcraft, building off the success of The VVitch and the evergreen low-budget fascination for small communities in rural settings. Even in this subgenre, The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw clearly aims for atmosphere over concision or plot — taking place in a suitably out-of-time 1970s small village that could be anywhere in North America, untouched by period details, it tells us about a mother, a daughter, and accusations of witchcraft. After a very leisurely setup, it eventually moves in toward shocks, gore and horror in time for a more entertaining finale. Writer-director Thomas Robert Lee is clearly working toward something there, and it’s perhaps inevitable that a segment of the audience may be more frustrated than charmed by the results. Even at barely more than 90 minutes, The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw feels long, oppressive and repetitive. Still, it’s an honourable effort: the atmosphere is cleverly built and it avoids cheap genre pitfalls by a wide margin. The failings of the film are closer to those of a moody and overly florid period drama than most horror films, and that’s telling in itself.