The Devil's Bath
Directed by Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala
In 1750 Austria, a deeply religious woman named Agnes has just married her beloved, but her mind and heart soon grow heavy as her life becomes a long list of chores and expectations. Day after day, she is increasingly trapped in a murky and lonely path leading to evil thoughts, until the possibility of committing a shocking act of violence seems like the only way out of her inner prison. Giving a voice to the invisible and unheard women of the rural past, THE DEVIL’S BATH is based on historical court records about a shocking, hitherto unexplored chapter of European history.
From the directors of Goodnight Mommy, comes a chilling psychological descent into the rural past.
Cast: Anja Plaschg, David Scheid, Maria Hofstätter, Natalija Baranova, Camilla Schielin, Lorenz Tröbinger, Claudia Martini, Agnes Lampl, Lukas Walcher, Reinhold Felsinger, Elias Schützenhofer
Member Reviews
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That was the saddening I have seen in a long time. 😓
As grim as they come, slow-burn psychological horror about madness in the Middle-ages. Amazing performances (especially from the lead), cinematography, music and direction. But this is fairly depressing stuff with echoes of Egger's The Witch. What makes it even more horrific and miserable is that it is based upon real testimony of true events. The world might seem like it is currently on fire, but spare a thought for those a few hundred years back who had to contend with hard labour, pious authoritarianism, infanticide and a casual disregard for mental health. The last twenty minutes are so bleak they are nearly unwatchable.
The film was too long and boring for what it delivers. Everybody had it rough back then, not just women. I stopped feeling any empathy for Agnes, because of the run time.
This film is a brilliant example of what happens when beautiful young women are told happiness comes from marriage and children. The reality is so different from our youthful dreams. If you liked the Witch, you'd like this film. This is Agnes's horror, not a male centered slasher with youthful busts running in wet Tshirts. It's thoughtful, realistic, and all too relevant to the adulthood we all dream of as children.