The Love Witch Follows the Story of a Witch Desperate for Love

The Love Witch is one of my favorite horror films ever made. It's crazy how the film came out in 2016, because it straight up looks like the film was released in the 70s. It even has bad acting on purpose, because the director wanted the capture the vibe of an old school horror film.

The film has a giallos horror feel to it as well, the camerawork focuses on a lot of scenes that remind me of a painting. It’s fantastic work, and it’s one of the main reasons why I love this film so much. The film is mostly a character study that focuses on the main character of Elaine.

Elaine is a witch, who uses her powers to put men under a spell, so that they would fall in love with her. She is so desperate for love, that she wants to rush into a relationship whenever she meets someone that is slightly interested in her. Unfortunately, whenever she puts these men under a spell, they begin to obsess over her, and they end up dying from her powerful spell.

Elaine is trapped in her own love cycle throughout the entire film.

Her tragic love journey began when her first husband treated her horribly. Once she realizes that he wasn’t the one, she murders him. I think this act of violence led to the downfall of her character.

She no longer thinks of herself as a human, she only wants to do what is best for the man that falls for her. Despite her murderous tendencies, I couldn’t help but feel bad for Elaine. She wants someone to love her so badly, that she is no longer cares about what she truly wants for herself.

I felt even more bad for her character when the first guy that she doesn’t need to put a spell on, that shows a small sign of interest in her. I wonder if they could have worked as a couple, but her desperation for love kills him upon their first interaction. Another detective that is investigating the murders Elaine has committed, decides to begin dating her too.

They had actually met in the beginning of the film, when he was a police officer, before he became promoted to a detective. He had stopped her for having a broken taillight, and the two of them are instantly attracted to each other when they ran into each other again.

While I think the first guy could have worked with Elaine, I think Griff might have been the perfect guy for her in some messed up way. She was a killer that believed in the power of love, and he was a tough bastard that didn't believe in love. It was obvious that he did hold some sort of feelings for her, because even though he didn't want to be with her, he still felt drawn to her, without any sort of love spell involved.

He even fights the urge to not investigate her anymore during some point in the film, and it was pretty shocking to see Griff make a drastic decision like that. His disapproval of love ends up ruining Elaine's love for him at the end of the film, and in a fit of rage, she stabs him to death. This final act in the film ends with Elaine smiling at a painting that resembles her murderous rage. I think the ending was hinting that Elaine fully lost her mind, giving herself to the madness of love.

Elaine is such a complicated but interesting character, because of her desire to be loved. I found this concept so original, and it's one of my favorite films that I watch every October.

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Thank you for reading!

Emy Quinn