Should you watch Häxan?
Who it’s good for, who it isn’t, and what’s in it. No ratings, no scores.

Häxan
Documentary · 1922
Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen's legendary film uses a series of dramatic vignettes to explore the scientific hypothesis that the witches of the Middle Ages suffered the same hysteria as turn-of-the-century psychiatric patients. But the film itself is far from serious-- instead it's a witches' brew of the scary, gross, and darkly humorous.
The sides of Häxan
- A silent essay on witchcraft and the devil
- Staged scenes of torture and confession
- A witches' sabbath reenacted
Häxan is good for you if…
- you like devils, flying brooms and a sabbath staged in 1922.
- you want images that still unsettle a hundred years later.
- you like the Middle Ages shown through a trial and a confession.
Häxan is bad for you if…
- a silent black and white film feels dated to you.
- you can't watch torture shown on screen.
About: superstition · witch hunts · madness
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