The Devil’s Bath is one of the more somber films to hit the screen in some time, but it’s also a mesmerizing if not haunting meditation on one of the most ominous and overlooked phenomena in modern history. Written and directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz (The Lodge, Goodnight Mommy), the story is set in 1750 Austria, where a deeply religious woman named Agnes (Anja Plaschg, of the band Soap&Skin) begins to feel so lonely and trapped in her confined life that she considers committing a shocking act of violence as the only way out of her misery.
The film recalls Midsommar, but cuts deeper. Culling from research, the filmmakers ultimately illuminate how women throughout Europe during that era attempted to end their lives by committing “ritualistic” acts of murder. In their eyes, it was a way to overstep the eternal damnation of committing suicide. By confessing their murderous crime, the women would be executed yet cleansed of their sins, and thereby go to heaven.
More than 400 cases like this have been documented in the German-speaking world alone, and through Agnes, we witness the experience. The Devil’s Bath is not a conventional horror movie per se, but is frightening in its own way and stays with you long after the screen fades to black.
A Woman on the Verge of Ending It All
3.5/5
In 1750 Austria, a deeply religious woman named Agnes has just married her beloved, but her mind and heart soon grow heavy as her life becomes a long list of chores and expectations. Day after day, she is increasingly trapped in a murky and lonely path leading to evil thoughts, until the possibility of committing a shocking act of violence seems like the only way out of her inner prison. Giving a voice to the invisible and unheard women of the rural past; THE DEVIL’S BATH is based on historical court records about a shocking, hitherto unexplored chapter of European history.
Release Date June 8, 2024
Director Veronika Franz , Severin Fiala
Cast Anja Plaschg , Maria Hofstätter , David Scheid , Natalija Baranova , Claudia Martini
Runtime 120 Minutes
Writers Veronika Franz , Severin Fiala
Studio(s) Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion , Heimatfilm , coop99 filmproduktion
Distributor(s) Shudder
Pros
- Anja Plaschg is a revelation here, giving one of the year’s best performances.
- The Devil’s Bath is a deeply unsettling study of depression and suicidal ideation, with great historical detail.
Cons
- The Devil’s Bath is likely too slow and depressing for most people, and disappointing to the usual horror fan, as it is not scary.
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As gritty psychodramas go, The Devil’s Bath delivers the goods. But this is a slow-moving film that features longer shots and scenes to create a sense of place and, more so, despair. The term “devil’s bath” was used to describe melancholy during the time period in which the film is set, and here, Agnes, who has just married her beloved (David Scheid), begins to feel the dread creeping in.
The man’s disinterest in intimacy dampens her hopes. His mother (Maria Hofstatter) is critical. Chores and expectations are common, but the monotony of life begins to steadily be overtaken by more than just existential malaise.
In the forest, Agnes discovers the female corpse of a murderer we see in the film’s opening scenes. She’s taken aback. There it is, positioned in a chair, the corpse’s head resting on a table beside it. On the tree is a hand-drawn picture revealing the events that took place there. Agnes cannot get the scene out of her mind. She often returns to it, further adding to her descent.
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Anja Plaschg Is Unsettling as a Woman Ready to Kill and Die
On the homefront, Agnes makes a bold choice. Childless and tormented, she bolts, returning to her family, but her husband soon drags her back — literally. But now, Agnes wants out, not just of her marriage but of life itself. It’s here the filmmakers so effectively capture both the specific era and the universal tones of depression. As Agnes’ thoughts drift toward the dire, she cannot escape her fate. Surely, the corpse in the woods gave her a clue as to how to free herself from her travails.
Plaschg, a renowned composer who is also credited as such here, turns in an astoundingly heart-wrenching performance as Agnes, capturing her mental instability as the film explores an even broader theme. The filmmakers’ close-ups of her are paranoid and obsessive, and Plaschg rises to the occasion in every instance to convincingly portray melancholy as it slides into homicidal contempt.
To that end, casting the renowned composer Anja Plaschg is the film’s coup de grâce. Plaschg was reportedly so captivated by the story that the filmmakers took a chance. It paid off. Plaschg delivers a raw, visceral, and realistic portrayal, fully capturing Agnes’ desperation. It’s a stunning performance, made even more captivating by a relative newcomer to acting.
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The Unseen Can Be More Terrifying Than What’s Seen
If you’ve happened to experience these filmmakers’ other films, such as Goodnight Mommy and The Lodge, you know how capable they are at creating a chilling endeavor that builds from a slow-burn to an unforgettable nightmare. The Devil’s Bath is effective, thanks to its keen ability to create a certain tone as character studies play out.
As the film develops, the gruesome reality of the era is revealed. The victims at the time were typically young children who were deemed “innocent” — basically sinless, therefore offering a route to heaven. The film doesn’t explicitly showcase such events and when a scene does arrive, it pans off to the distance. But one’s imagination can produce more horrifying images than on the screen, which makes The Devil’s Bath even more captivating.
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‘I Never Want to See This Movie Again’
Nonetheless, it’s an incredibly morbid and antinatalist film, which may turn some viewers off. Everything is bad here, and you know that things will only get worse. It feels like an amalgam of similar dank and dour movies which have also effectively captured depression and anhedonia, often in a historical snapshot — from A City of Sadness and Melancholia to The Elephant Man and The Seventh Continent. They’re not easy to experience (as Bilge Ebiri titles their Vulture review for The Devil’s Bath, “I Never Want to See This Movie Again”), yet there’s something moving about them and certainly something to learn and ponder.
That’s both a pro and a con for The Devil’s Bath. Regardless, it’s simply shot and effectively executed thanks to the finesse of its directors. But it’s Anja Plaschg who emerges as the film’s signature component. Rarely do we see a portrayal as gut-wrenching as this. And while the water here may be murky, the bath somehow cleanses any misconceptions of how brutal depression can actually be.
The Devil’s Bath opens at NYC’s IFC Center on June 21 and will be available to stream on Shudder on June 28. You can check out showtimes and more information here.
You can view the original article HERE.
