PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Heks (The Hex) is a brand new South African horror film written and directed by Reine Swart (Triggered 2020). Swart is making her directorial feature film debut. Heks also stars Coco Lloyd (Trypophobia 2019).
Film Synopsis:
A grieving British woman unravels her murdered mother’s secrets connected to a South African witch doctor’s curse. She wants to put an end to this haunting hex by traveling to South Africa, but instead it casts her deeper into sinister depths.
I don’t throw the word “brilliant” around too often, but Heks was just that, an absolutely brilliant horror film. You could never tell this was Reine Swart’s debut as a director, because she nails the atmosphere and tone.
What Heks does well is scare the audience with silence. The lack of music makes the film that much more unnerving. I love the quiet moments in this film where no one is talking, and you really have to pay attention to the environment. Though when we do hear music, it fits the film well and matches the theme of the movie. The music, at times, really heightens the tension, especially towards the end.
Coco Lloyd is fantastic and perfectly cast as Dilanne. She does a great job showing true fear and emotion throughout the film. The rest of the cast is just as amazing and helps unravel the story even further.
Swart’s script is incredible. Each character is natural along with the dialogue, and they all have the same fear that Lloyd carries in her role. A well done job by the entire cast.
The scares are well thought out, and none of them are predictable. I was on edge the whole time, because when I thought a horror moment was coming, it didn’t happen. They only popped up when I least expected it, and I love that. I like being scared when I don’t see it coming, and Heks does that perfectly.
The production value of this movie is off the charts. You can’t tell it is an indie film. From the lighting to the camera angles, Heks is a masterpiece of the indie horror genre. I really enjoyed Swart’s shot selection. I think a good shot makes the entire film, and she does a great job making those decisions.
End 2020 with Heks (The Hex). It’s an amazing horror film with so much to offer the genre. Reine Swart does a great job for her first feature film, and I can’t wait to see what she does next. I would easily put this in my top three horror films from this year. Heks is now available on DVD and Video On-Demand in North America.
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