This film is part of Rentals
The Witches
Joan Fontaine stars as an ex-missionary drawn to investigate the sinister undercurrents beneath the surface of English village life.
Director: Cyril Frankel
Overview
Following a brush with voodoo and a nervous breakdown, Gwen Mayfield (Joan Fontaine in her last big-screen appearance) accepts a teaching job, relocating from Africa to a sleepy English village. As she begins to settle into a different pace of life, Gwen notices a series of strange occurrences that seem to point towards just one thing: witchcraft.
Adapted for the screen by Nigel Kneale (The Quatermass Xperiment) from Norah Lofts' novel, this mid-period Hammer production was something of a curiosity upon its initial release. With none of the studio’s regular directors or stars, it remains one of Hammer’s most overlooked films. Apparently Kneale was unhappy with the final film, which he felt disregarded his humorous intentions in favour of a more conventional approach. Looking at the film today, as the repressed desires of this quiet community are unleashed upon the unsuspecting Fontaine, the sense of dark satire feels ever present, making The Witches ripe for rediscovery.
Related
Manila in the Claws of Light Manila in the Claws of Light
Drama 1975 126 mins Director: Lino Brocka
Lino Brocka's classic, the most feted film in Filipino cinema, tells the story of a naive 21-year-old fisherman trying to survive in Manila’s corrupt, teeming and polluted urban jungle.
Victim Victim
Drama 1961 100 mins Director: Basil Dearden
This thought-provoking classic stars Dirk Bogarde as a homosexual lawyer who risks his career to hunt down a blackmailer.
The L-shaped Room The L-shaped Room
Drama 1962 126 mins Director: Bryan Forbes
Bryan Forbes directs the Oscar-nominated story of a French woman (Leslie Caron) moving to London while unmarried, pregnant, and alone.
Shiraz: A Romance of India Shiraz: A Romance of India
Historical drama 1928 106 mins Silent Director: Franz Osten
The ravishing, romantic story behind the Taj Mahal, has been newly restored with a sumptuous new score from Anoushka Shankar.
My Little Chickadee My Little Chickadee
Comedy 1940 84 mins Director: Eddie Cline
Two of comedy's coarsest wise-crackers, W.C. Fields and Mae West, saddle up for this ribald comic western.
Jabberwocky Jabberwocky
Comedy 1977 106 mins Director: Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam's first feature as a solo director, here gloriously restored, is a riotous tale of monsters, true love and medieval manners.
The Magnet The Magnet
Drama 1950 78 mins Director: Charles Frend
A young James Fox plays the tearaway who tricks a boy out of his magnet only to be troubled by his conscience, in this attractive Ealing comedy.
Ellis Park Ellis Park
Documentary 2024 106 mins Director: Justin Kurzel
Snowtown director Justin Kurzel’s first foray into documentary is an intimate portrait of iconic Australian musician and composer Warren Ellis.
Baby Baby
Drama 2024 106 mins Director: Marcelo Caetano
São Paulo’s streets can offer danger or opportunity, and for Baby, a young gay man carving out his own existence, they deliver both.
Alpha Alpha
Horror 2025 128 mins Director: Julia Ducournau
Julia Ducournau follows her Palme d’Or-winning Titane with this powerful family drama starring Tahar Rahim and Golshifteh Farahani.
The Ceremony The Ceremony
Thriller 2024 92 mins Director: Jack King
When night falls, two Bradford car wash workers are dragged into an escalating moral crisis.
Palestine 36 Palestine 36
Period drama 2025 120 mins Director: Annemarie Jacir
Acclaimed Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir’s most ambitious work is a powerful exploration of the events leading up to the Arab Revolt of 1936.
Ghost Trail Ghost Trail
Thriller 2024 106 mins Director: Jonathan Millet
Tense, morally complex political thriller about a man hunting down fugitive war criminals from the Assad regime in Syria, inspired by true events.