English professor Samuel Solomon (Elliot Cowan) has spent a year in depression after a student he was having a secret affair with committed suicide in his apartment. He is rocked from his lethargy when he begins having dreams of a ritualistic murder for a week and then finds out it really happened on the news. He travels to mansion where the murder happened and runs into Rachel (Ana Ularu), an Eastern European woman who also had the same dream. With the help of his colleague Susan (Franka Potente), Samuel discovers a group that worshiped a coven of witches called the "Seven Ladies" and he goes to seek out the last remaining member of that group.
I've been a fan of Spanish director Jaume Balaguero ever since seeing THE NAMELESS (1999) years ago. That Ramsey Campbell adaptation was bleaker than bleak, establishing a constant thread of nihilism that flows throughout Balaguero's subsequent work (DARKNESS, FRAGILE, REC, and SLEEP TIGHT). The only misfires for me have been his REC sequels (he co-directed part 2 and handled part 4 on his own), which seemed to have no idea where to take things. This is a return to form after the disappointing REC 4, but might actually be guilty of having too much plot. Balaguero, who co-wrote this with Fernando Navarro and José Carlos Somoza, seems to have been heavily influenced by Dario Argento. Not in terms of style, but in terms of plot dynamics as Solomon's quest is similar to what David Hemmings had in DEEP RED (1975) and the "Seven Ladies" definitely echo Argento's "Three Mothers" coven. The first hour builds the mystery well, but there is throws way too much into the mix in the mid-section. Yes, I'm complaining a horror film has too much plot (the mixing in of classic lit authors element really could have been excised). Cowan is quite good in the lead and Ularu is really good. Also, Joanne Whalley is excellent in her first feature in years as one of the witches and Christopher Lloyd (!!) show up in a few scenes as a dying old man. Definitely worth seeing, just make sure you have a notepad ready to suss it all out.
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