Written and directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, Austria in the 18th century. Forests surround villages. Killing a baby gets a woman sentenced to death. Agnes readies for married life with her beloved but her mind and heart grow heavy. A gloomy path alone, evil thoughts arising. Starring: Anja Plaschg, Maria Hofstätter and David Scheid.
Horror is a brilliant vehicle to explore a lot of different things, particularly the dark recesses of the mind. So, it’s no surprise that Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz would choose it to portray Agnes’ plight of misery and isolation but while it hits the mark visually, it feels like this tale is simply too tragic for the genre to do it justice. The progression and pacing are very gradual, this is a drawn out tale of agony.
The few classic horror choices that it does make, do unquestionably add to the air of discomfort and the feel of suffering but aren’t always perfectly fitting for this story of mental anguish. One that has deep roots in specific history, that deserves exploration as it’s incredibly harrowing. So, while Fiala and Franz’s direction captures the haunting nature and the slowly festering atmosphere, it doesn’t dig deep enough into the psychology.
Particularly because Anja Plaschg does a great job of portraying Agnes’ evolution, how each realisation or interaction drives her deeper into her depression. It’s chilling to watch her deterioration, but it also would have strengthened it further if we’d seen more of the character while she still had hope. To also show more of her personality, as when she consistently draws into herself, there’s less to learn.
Within this story is the potential for a fascinating exploration of superstition, patriarchy and mental health but we only see the beginnings of it. The darkness and atmosphere that Fiala and Franz build is strong, although it could have been stronger with the help of better sound work and a more impactful score.
The Devil’s Bath captures a horrific moment in time to be a woman and how that can push them over the edge. It’s a haunting story but it’s not reaching its potential. The cinematography is nicely dark, making use of the rich palette of the woods but the atmosphere that creates isn’t enough to drive home this complex tale. It moves with an appropriate sense of patience and quiet but it draws out its moments rather than layering them and further digging into this intensely complicated psychology.
FilmCarnage.com 