It took me a while to get to where I am today in life. For years I was scared to ask the question of who am I, really? I exhausted tremendous energy chasing after what was popular at the time, mistaking it for what I thought would bring me joy and happiness. Instead, it brought isolation and depression. As a result, I became the target of a great deal of bullying, which only deepened that depression. I pursued that facade for years, thinking it would bring me joy. That joy would bring me a line of acceptance from my peers. Spoiler alert, it didn’t.
I resonate with the scene from The Craft where Nancy and her coven walk off the bus and the bus driver turns to the girls and says “watch out for those weirdos,” and Nancy pulls down her sunglasses and replies, “we are the weirdos, mister.” It took me a while to get to arrive at this conclusion: I’m a weirdo that stands outside of what most people consider normal. It took me a while to arrive at the conclusion that being true to myself and holding true to my convictions would improve my mental health in the long run. Sure, sometimes you still get the occasional bully who doesn’t agree, but what is a moment of trolling compared to sound mental health in the long run?
I do need to add the caveat that what I have encountered is but a drop in a bucket compared to others. Some lives have been taken as a result of bullying. Then we’ve seen civil unrest over the last year take place as a result of centuries of oppression against people simply because their skin color is different than ours. Our history is littered with ignorance of moments we thought would be best for the general public. Instead, it’s left a bloodstain on the history books that detail our prejudice of other races and sexes that stand opposite our ideal of white men. I’m specifically addressing the Salem Witch Trials. For his return to horror, Neil Marshall, dares to tackle that particular subject with intensity and honesty. The Reckoning tells the story of Grace (Charlotte Kirk), whose husband falls dead because of the plague. When she is bullied and stands her ground against her landlord, she gets accused of being a witch and endures tedious trials to confess that she is what they claim. There is little redemption here for this witch tale.
For something that hinges on something like witchcraft, one would expect this film to be a bit more thrilling than it actually is. I understand the need for wanting to illustrate historical accuracy, and from a production design The Reckoning manages to transport viewers back. It’s a gorgeous movie but beauty is only on the surface. Marshall fails to captivate audiences. Every time that he gets closer to something interesting, subplots are quickly dropped in favor of the boorish history lesson. The film finds its antagonist in Sean Pertwee’s Moorcroft, a famed witch hunter. Pertwee is a veteran of the craft but ends on a mediocre note. There is no development. Pertwee’s “witch” trials remind us how little distance we’ve covered in our own judicial systems, with biases and how closely the two are tied together. The English actor helps to deepen the film’s historical themes, but that’s about it. The famous witch hunter, much like the film’s plot, comes across as surface level adapting with no sense of development.
So many of the film’s characters fall within these traps. They seem surface level. It’s almost like Marshall was afraid of developing them. Perhaps, the most puzzling thing about some of the characters is their lack of purpose throughout the film. Take for instance Leon Ockenden, playing Grace’s neighbor Morton, and his wife Astrid, played by Indianna Ryan. The two show up for a handful of scenes and viewers just watch as their marriage goes from just alright to downright violent. The actors seem to be nothing more than a plot device to add some drama to the film. Outside of that they seem devoid of purpose. The characters that we do spend time with, outside of Grace, feel incredibly one-noted. The landlord never evolves past a sex-crazed hound dog. His squire is nothing more than a servant boy.
The Reckoning has very few redeeming qualities to it. The set design is gorgeous. When it does embrace its historical accuracy, other than its melodrama, Reckoning can be compelling. It does indeed have its moments among all of its flaws. The diamond in the rough for this movie is without a doubt Kirk’s performance. Experiencing grief within the first act of the film and continuously holding onto her convictions makes Grace not only a compelling character but the only character who actually has an arc throughout the course of the movie. Kirk nails every moment that she’s on screen. Whether she is embracing her grief or when she is holding true to her beliefs, Kirk acts circles around her co-stars. She might be the only reason to watch this movie. Her arc is wild to watch unfold.
Overall, The Reckoning is a bland melodrama. It aims to take a stab at the Salem Witch Trials but falls flat with its uninspiring characters, lack of development, and pointless heavy dialogue that serves little to no purpose, let alone the satisfaction of the audience. There are a few cool moments that will satisfy audiences. The performance from Charlotte Kirk rises above literally everything else this movie offers. Grab yourself a good documentary that can do the Salem Witch Trials justice because you won’t find it here in The Reckoning.
RORSHACH RATING:
Mental Health Moment: While I will admit I’m not the biggest fan of this movie, I will say that some of these scenes are incredibly hard to watch - particularly the torture scenes of Charlotte Kirk’s Grace. The character who is already grieving the loss of her husband is now fighting for her life simply to prove her mortality. I think about how far we’ve come when it comes to the treatment of women simply as human beings. Films like Promising Young Female and This Changes Everything prove that we still have a long while to go. It begs the question at the end of the day, do we ever wonder how this history plagues the modern day females?
Sure, we’ve seen a rise in women’s rights and there has been a respectable growth within equality. However, it has never risen to the depth of where it should be. As a white man, I understand that I’m probably not the right person to be addressing this. However, I do believe in speaking out against injustices. I can say that for every inch that we have come for gender equality - we still have miles to go. I would challenge men reading this right now to think about how the things we do and things we say cut deeper than we could ever imagine. Such things that seem trivial to us mean the world to others. To quote the band Motionless In White, open your mind before your mouth.
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. The Reckoning is property of RLJE Films and Shudder. We do not own nor claim any rights.
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