This week on Broomsticks and Bloodshed, Cory and Rosśa head into the woods to confront The Wretched (2019), a pandemic-era horror hit about a child-eating bog witch hiding in plain sight. We break down the film’s folklore influences, skin-walking terror, and impressive sound design, while also calling out its continuity issues, rushed third act, and deeply divisive ending.

Is this an underrated folk horror gem or a stylish mess held together by vibes and drive-in timing? We dig into Appalachian myth adjacent witchcraft, Hollywood’s obsession with evil mothers, and whether this film earns its surprising box office success. Grab your salt, watch the treeline, and join us.

🧹 Rating: 2.5 broomsticks

In this episode of Broomsticks and Bloodshed, Cory and Rosśa close out 2025 by trekking deep into the haunted woods of The Ritual (2017), David Bruckner’s bleak and beautifully shot folk horror nightmare. What begins as a memorial hike for a fallen friend quickly turns into a descent into guilt, grief, and something ancient lurking among the trees. As tensions fracture the group, the forest itself becomes an active participant in their undoing.

We break down the film’s Norse mythology, rune symbolism, sacrificial cult practices, and the terrifying presence of Moder, a Jötunn-inspired entity born from fear and subjugation. Along the way, we unpack Luke’s trauma, survival guilt, and the film’s meditation on masculinity, mourning, and power. Is The Ritual a witchcraft film, or something older and darker? Join us as we explore folk magic, pagan horror, and why this underrated modern classic still cuts so deep.

https://www.spiritnorthwest.com/

This week on Broomsticks and Bloodshed, Cory and Rossa descend into the gothic heart of 1970s Blaxploitation horror with The House on Skull Mountain. Set in an eerie Atlanta mansion and steeped in ancestral legacy, the film blends Catholic imagery, Vodou, Hoodoo, and gothic melodrama into a supernatural mystery where blood calls to blood and the dead refuse to stay silent.

We break down the film’s use of ritual magic, wangas, ancestral spirits, possession, and resurrection, separating cinematic exaggeration from real world Vodou and Hoodoo practices. Along the way, we explore the historical and cultural significance of the cast, many of whom were real life activists, artists, and civil rights leaders, and discuss how the film navigates race, lineage, power, and identity in ways that still spark conversation today.

From skull imagery and ritual drums to questions of ancestry and spiritual inheritance, this episode looks at why House on Skull Mountain stands apart from crime focused Blaxploitation films and why its portrayal of Black spiritual traditions deserves a closer, more thoughtful examination.

In this week’s episode of Broomsticks and Bloodshed, Cory and Rossa plunge into the feverish world of Häxan, the silent-era blend of scholarship, superstition, and shocking imagery that redefined cinematic witchcraft. We explore its historical sources, its unforgettable sabbat visions, and the real witchcraft practices buried beneath the hysteria. From demonology manuals to torture chambers, we examine how fear shaped the medieval imagination and why Christensen’s film still echoes through witch cinema today.

https://youtu.be/Qca-1Aolo3Y?si=AaLrinOl1V9BmSBl

This week on Broomsticks and Bloodshed, Cory and Rossa trek into the icy folklore of 1950s Finland to explore The White Reindeer, a haunting blend of shamanic magic, vampiric hunger, and the crushing loneliness that transforms Pirita from a restless bride into a shape-shifting predator.

We dig into the film’s stark Arctic landscapes, its surreal ritual sequences, and its deeply human fear of desire gone feral. Then we take a close look at how the movie’s depictions of Sámi magic compare to authentic practices, and why this tragic folktale still resonates in modern witchcraft conversations.

Join us as we break down the legend, the symbolism, the spellwork, and the chilling beauty that makes The White Reindeer one of the most striking witch films ever put to screen.

Grab your potion bottles and hide your chocolate! This week, Cory and Rossa unmask The Witches, Nicolas Roeg’s twisted children’s tale of mice, magic, and moral panic. From Anjelica Huston’s iconic Grand High Witch to Jim Henson’s grotesque creature work, we’re diving deep into the film’s mix of whimsy and horror. Join us as we explore how Dahl’s story warped witchcraft for a generation, what the movie gets right about transformation magic, and why some childhood scares still linger long after the credits roll.

This week on Broomsticks and Bloodshed, Cory and Rossa dive into 1978’s Summer of Fear — a made-for-TV witchy thriller starring Linda Blair that’s equal parts camp and curse. From eerie family secrets to seventies-style sorcery, we unpack the film’s magic, melodrama, and misunderstood witchcraft. Tune in as we explore how this forgotten gem helped shape the era’s small-screen horror and whether its spell still holds power today.

In this special supplemental episode of Broomsticks and Bloodshed, Cory and Rosśan take a break from their usual deep dives to chat about the horror movies that have been haunting their screens lately. From cult classics to new releases, they share what’s been hitting, missing, and casting the strongest cinematic spells this spooky season. Grab your pumpkin spice potion and settle in—it’s a casual coven hang full of witchy opinions and October vibes.