The Wasteland Reviewer

Witchboard (2025) Written Review

Have movie characters yet to learn the essential lesson to never mess around with creepy historical artifacts? You should especially leave them alone if you find them randomly in the middle of the woods. But that does not stop Madison Iseman from doing just that and then starts playing around with this Witchboard, a powerful artifact that long preceded the Ouija board. Iseman’s Emily is struggling as she tries to move past her drug-filled past with her boyfriend Christian (who has his own baggage in the form of a still attached ex-girlfriend). But there is plenty of danger awaiting this couple that all stem from this Witchboard. Cults. Wickens. Body swapping. Mass drugging. Chuck Russell’s remake packs plenty of wild elements into its stuffed narrative. 

How does Russell approach a horror film that is so aggressively 80s in feeling into a new contemporary setting and audience. To be honest, that is one of the biggest struggles of the film. Witchboard is most engaging when it is leaning into some of those campy shades that were carried over from the original’s 80s tone. But there are too many moments and stretches of this film that take this whole situation too seriously. This bipolar approach to tone just makes the film feel so scattered and awkward which is not helpful to build scares in a horror film. There are certainly some eerie and creepy moments sprinkled throughout the film. The solid scares help keep the audience engaged especially when the film keeps dragging on. Clocking in at almost two hours, Witchboard will probably be a slight chore for audiences because there are too many stretches where there just isn’t enough going on. The effects in the film are at odds quite often. There are some solid effects for some of the evil entities. But the most questionable effects in the film are centered around a cat. There is just an awkward inconsistency with the approach and lacks self-awareness to be campy instead. 

Will the story of this witchy tale grab you? There are some interesting elements that the film introduces for sure, but they are much later in the film. For the first two acts of the film, the audience is stuck with a group of underdeveloped characters who are not quite interesting. The main couple is basically just one note characters defined by Iseman’s Emily being an addict and Dominguez’ Christian being a chef. The addiction metaphor is quite on the nose and doesn’t really have anything fresh or new in the situation. The screenplay is just littered with horror tropes and bad logic. This makes the film lack depth and complexity. As the film gets into its third act, things start getting wild. A little too late, these more fantastical elements start taking control. There is not enough substance, fresh ideas, or humor to really make the film standout, but the magical shenanigans are ridiculous and entertaining enough.

Can the cast at least elevate this middling horror remake? Iseman is a talented performer and only gets the chance to have a few standout moments. Her scream queen opportunities work for sure but not enough to make the character of Emily too memorable. Dominguez lacks the presence to overcome such a bland character as well. Mel Jarnson is certainly attractive as the obsessive ex-girlfriend character but there is nothing much else. Charlie Tahan delivers a bigger and more in-your-face performance in a supporting role, but he is not in the film much at all. There is one performer that stands out and that is Jamie Campbell Bower. He portrays a quirky and unique vibe with his high class and mysterious character who is brought in to help fix the Witchboard issues. There isn’t much to the character, but he is at least having fun chewing scenery. 

Is Witchboard a worthwhile horror remake? Not quite. The 80s were a time to enjoy campy and ridiculous horror flicks. That 80s charm went a long way in crafting nostalgia for films like Witchboard. Unfortunately, Russell does not quite get there with the fun, campy vibe. There are fleeting moments of it, but the film takes itself too seriously. A few good scares and some wild witchcraft twists help make the film a passable and entertaining watch.