“We’re going to need more holy water.”

ZombieDog’s rating: Three witches

ZombieDog’s review: Every time I start one of these reviews, I ask myself, “Is this a cult movie, a B-movie, a drive-in movie, or something else entirely?” The more I do this, the more I realize that these types of films echo different types of music. There are a multitude of genres, and a true lover of the art picks the one that’s right for them at the moment. So then it becomes, Is this a movie to watch with friends? Is this a movie to watch in the dark? And so on.

One of the things I do is to go back in time and find those movies that have aged like wine. Out of the five (!) films Nicolas Cage was in during 2011, Season of the Witch was definitely one of them. While I personally think Cage should decline at least 50% of the scripts offered to him, I’m glad he took this. This movie has a heavy midnight movie/drive-in movie feel. I remember when he started to do more movies, there were rumors of owing back taxes along with crazy behaviors such as of trying to buy exotic objects. None of this strangeness could take away from the fact he is an Academy award-winning actor and has added to the zeitgeist with such films as, Raising Arizona, Wild at Heart, and dozens of others.

Appearing with Cage, Ron Perlman fits perfectly in the film. Additionally, we get an appearance by Christopher Lee showing us why he’s an incredible actor. Combine this with awesome costume design and location scouting. It really does show that if you hire the right people and tell them exactly what you’re looking for, it pays off in spades.

Season of the Witch takes place during the 14th century where two grizzled Crusades veterans (Cage and Perlman) walk away from the Church-sponsored bloodshed. Upon returning home, they discover that the Black Plague has gripped the land killing three of every four people. It isn’t long before they are recognized as deserters, however, and the pair are given the choice between hanging or escorting a prisoner to a remote monastery. The prisoner in question is a young woman accused of being a witch and bringing the plague which has infested the city.

This is a supernatural thriller and a damn good one. Made for $40 million, Season of the Witch managed to make $91 million at the box office. It’s got another IMDb rating that I disagree with — a measly 5.4. I have to really question if the people watched the film. Yeah, it feels cheap in areas, but the story is there and so is everything else. The devil is in the details on this one, and they absolutely paid attention to the details.

The film is directed by Dominic Sena who worked with Cage before on Gone in 60 Seconds. His résumé is a mixed bag of directing videos and movies, most of which go direct to streaming. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that in a derogatory way. I think Sena’s getting it done with low budgets and decent actors. Unfortunately that puts you in a certain category of late-night fodder films. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that; in fact, this website is dedicated to discovering and praising these kind of movies.

I’m a huge fan of Nicolas Cage, I think he’s done some amazing work. I also think he might be a bit of a strange human being, which probably explains why he’s been able to do this amazing work. I am well aware that the movie industry is a business and acting is a job. It is an industry that touches people’s souls and inspires countless people to express themselves. I do feel as though Cage took as many films as he could to pay off his debts. To be fair, Pig (2021) is a wonderfully original and unique film. And here, Cage gives a brilliant performance which is subtle yet powerful. Give us more of this!

I’d urge you to go into Season of the Witch with some reasonably high expectations. It’s not Oscar-quality, although they paid attention to the details with a passion that I rarely see. It feels cheap in places and that’s fine. They do get away with hiding some of the low budget by filming mostly in the forest. It works, don’t knock it. Cage and Perlman are world-class at this point and unfortunately we are probably watching them at the twilight of their careers. Careers to be extremely proud of though.

A late-night viewing would do this movie justice. Gather some friends, a little bit of booze, then sit back and relax.