What I'm about to review is different from what I normally do. About a few weeks ago, a friend tagged me in someone's post on an Independent Horror filmmaking page on Facebook. I discovered that filmmaker Nathaniel Paull was looking for someone to review his latest independent film. I volunteered to give the film a look, thinking it would be an interesting change of pace. Although I typically post horror-related content in October, this review will be one of my exceptions.
When it comes to independent productions, a subject I'm typically interested in is horror. A genre that's not uncommon to make for those looking to wet their feet in the business, but also a genre that requires a special sense of creativity. Comedies, documentaries, and dramas are no picnic either, especially when aiming to captivate an audience in a visual art form; however, horror strives on making the most of one's limitations and figuring out how to make it frightening or, in the very least, entertaining. It's a special genre that's cheap yet demanding, allowing you to see the strategies a director uses to craft a film. The best and safest compromise for an independent director when creating horror is making it into a comedy. When trying to scare and shock, the results are either amusing for how they fail to terrify, becoming so dull and cheap that it's as if you watched nothing, or, of course, legitimately horrifying. When comedy is added to the mix, a filmmaker offers something both darkly innovative and highly amusing. Regardless of whether the product is actually funny, inspiring, or incredibly (and most likely) dumb, it will more than likely provide an entertaining experience. And even if the project fails and comes across as mind-numbingly cheesy, if the passion is felt on-screen and the sense that everyone had a fun time making it, it leads to a highly sociable home-movie-like experience. In Paull's case, he chooses the horror comedy approach for Heathens.
The film centers on the lives of a coven of 6 witches. When one of the witches, Isis, keeps acting out of line, she gets kicked out of the coven and starts her own with plans of war against them. The film is not story-heavy by any means; it's more focused on humor, the characters' weirdness, and its storytelling style. The latter is what makes the film interesting to watch: presenting it as a mockumentary. It offers the typical amusing tropes of the subgenre, including odd interviews and comical acknowledgment of the camera in scenes meant to be a fly-on-the-wall viewing experience. It should be no shock, either, that the film also borrows from the most iconic mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap. From a humor standpoint, plenty of the scenes are just of these colorful characters going about their usual rituals, only for bad luck to befall them or for them to get into arguments about some of their practices. And just as Spinal Tap goes from having little to no story to having one when things are really going below 11, the film uses the same approach (and both feature a member absent from the group when the plot thickens). The parts of the documentary that I found most intriguing were the scenes set on the internet. Isis hosts a series of mock TikTok videos; one of the characters has an online tarot card reading (with each screen featuring a different aspect ratio, which adds to the believability), and the climax involves Isis having a live stream where the comments steal the show. For what could have been a fun but average mockumentary, adding various uses of the internet into the mix while satirizing it creates an amusing change of pace. And given how mad and unhinged the internet is, most of these videos feel like legitimate material I would see on TikTok or YouTube, making them the most realistic part of the movie.
The subjects of the mockumentary are as amusing to watch as the film's style. All 6 witches have very distinctive personalities that don't feel interchangeable. There's Jasmine, who communicates with the goddess Hecate. The witch Ivy has a strong urge to perform "sex magic." Destiny is in tune with her past lives. Daphne is both a witch and a paranormal investigator who communicates with spirit dice. The single mom, April, who specializes in Tarot Card readings. And of course, Isis, who is indeed the maddest and most unhinged member of the witches. Despite the acting typically coming across as community college, not only does the sense of fun they're having come through on-screen, but everyone (at least in terms of the coven) fits the characters they're playing. I buy that these characters are into witchcraft for how strange they are, while also chuckling at the absurdities of their practices. As silly and hokey as the performances can be at times, their chemistry is still believable. These actresses fit their roles and play off of each other so well that I would not be surprised if some of them were actually into witchcraft, and were friends before making this film. While everyone has their time to shine, the characters who provide the biggest laughs are Destiny, Ivy, and, above all, the scene-chewing Isis. Unless the comment section is on-screen, Isis hogs the spotlight with her savage, larger-than-life personality and gothic Kiss-like make-up.
As enjoyable as the actresses are, the humor is hit or miss. Some bits gave me a genuine laugh, such as the confrontation with some of Destiny's past lives, Ivy's sexual cravings, and seeing them perform an insensitive war dance. However, some bits go on longer than they should, where the punchline can at times make up the wait, but overall, still feel like a drag to get through. I understand the reason is to make the events feel real, but Spinal Tap knew how long a bit should go or at least brought in a new joke rather than lingering on one long enough to make one feel bored. While I was watching it, I also found the humor very tame. I'm not expecting it to reach the level of a Troma film, but I question why the film couldn't make its dialogue a little naughtier. Some scenes and concepts do so and even break some barriers, but there's a strong sense of hesitance that prevents the film from going all-out with its mean-spirited humor. Does this criticism really hurt the film? I wouldn't go that far. If I were making an independent comedy while building a career, I would, in some respects, play it safe. But Nathaniel Paull can push the envelope, and I'm glad to get a few samples of that here. I only hope he goes a little further in his next project.
Heathens has problems with pacing, humor, and acting (primarily from the supporting cast, though they are still entertaining to watch, especially the guy holding the boom mic), but as a whole, it's still a wicked good time. The mockumentary style is inventive, the witches are a joy to watch, and there are plenty of jokes that do work. It may not be as clever as Spinal Tap. Still, it's certainly an enjoyable independent horror comedy, thanks to its likability and ambition.
