Hag (2025)

Sam Wineman's 'Hag' attempts a contemporary folk horror narrative, marrying ancient dread with modern anxieties, often to compelling effect. The film excels in crafting a genuinely unsettling atmosphere, leveraging stark, naturalistic cinematography and a disquieting sound design that seeps into the viewer's subconscious. Ryan De Villiers delivers a nuanced performance, anchoring the narrative amidst its more abstract horrors, while Adore Delano offers a surprisingly grounded, albeit brief, turn. However, the film occasionally struggles with pacing, particularly in its second act, where thematic exploration sometimes overshadows narrative urgency, leading to moments of deliberate inertia. While its exploration of generational trauma and queer identity within a supernatural framework is admirable, the resolution feels somewhat conventional, preventing 'Hag' from fully transcending its genre influences into truly original territory.