02/10/2022
Yet, Häxan is not simply a documentary or docudrama. Christensen's skill in special effects and sheer visual panache means that as soon as the film shifts from its essayistic stance, Häxan punches as hard as any horror film from its era. Its imagery is some of the most unnerving made in the silent period as it conjures up depictions of occult practices and scenarios, from people cavorting with devils to child sacrifice. "It perfectly balances the beautiful and the grotesque and there are some scenes that are truly bizarre," says artist and founder of the Folk Horror Revival project Andy Paciorek.