Fleeing through the impenetrable forests of the Basque countryside after a jewel heist, a hapless band of robbers runs afoul of a coven of witches, in this madcap supernatural spectacle from Spanish genre specialist Alex de la Iglesia (The Last Circus).
A group of buskers led by a Jesus Christ in silver body paint pull out machine guns and grab a massive haul from a Cash for Gold store. The heist is masterminded by José (Hugo Silva), a down-on-his-luck divorced dad who, due to his custody schedule, is forced to bring his eight-year-old son to the robbery.
The hapless band of robbers escapes through the impenetrable forests of the Basque countryside, hoping to cross the border into France undetected. Unaware of the dangers lurking within, the group drives deep into the woods, and headfirst into an ancient coven of witches. As if being on the run from the cops and his angry ex-wife (Sexy Killer star Macarena Gómez) were not enough, now José must contend with a horde of women hell-bent on ripping out his soul — not to mention one amorous, leather-clad, motorcycle-riding punk-rock witch with a penchant for toad juice.
Álex de la Iglesia's first feature Acción Mutante, an outrageous sci-fi comedy about a group of disabled terrorists, had a triumphant debut at Midnight Madness in 1993. Since then, he has become one of Spain's most important directors, bending genres into over-the-top social satires including Ferpect Crime and The Last Circus. Here, he returns to the world of the macabre with a madcap high-octane chase reminiscent of From Dusk Till Dawn. The unexpected twists and turns and unrelenting momentum in Witching & Bitching build to wild peaks of zany spectacle that will leave audiences gobsmacked!
COLIN GEDDES
Screenings
Scotiabank 7
Scotiabank 6
Ryerson Theatre
Scotiabank 14