A group of friends opening a restaurant in New Orleans unearth an ancient pendulum board in Witchboard. Emily (Madison Iseman) and her fiance Christian (Aaron Dominguez) are preparing to open a new Creole restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans. While picking mushrooms for the restaurant, Emily finds an old board, which she learns from Christian’s ex, and occult expert, Brooke (Mel Jarnson) is an ancient pendulum board used in witchcraft. As she begins using the board, Emily begins to exhibit strange behaviours. Concerned for her well-being, Christian seeks Brooke’s help and she leads him to her friend and Wiccan expert Alexander Baptiste (Jamie Campbell Bower), who has secrets of his own.
Witchboard Synopsis
Witchboard is a reimagining of the 1986 film by Keven Tenney, which marks the return to the horror genre for writer and director Chuck Russell (A Nightmare on Elm Street III: Dream Warriors, The Blob). The plot of the film focuses on a group of young restaurateurs, who find an old pendulum board, a predecessor to modern Ouija boards. The board was created by the 17th-century witch Naga Soth (Antonia Desplat), whom the protagonist Emily, played by Madison Iseman (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle), seems to channel when she uses the board.
My Thoughts on Witchboard
Having not watched the original Witchboard, I cannot say whether this reimagining goes in the same new direction as Chuck Russell’s well-regarded 1988 remake of The Blob. However, the film is a passable occult horror film, with the standout being Jamie Campbell Bower (Stranger Things) as the antagonistic Alexander Baptiste. While Witchboard leaves no real lasting impression, it still makes for a fun and gory ride.