A coven of evil witches is a group of witches who engage in dark and malevolent practices. These witches come together to form a powerful and nefarious coven, with the aim of spreading chaos, harm, and destruction. **Their main objective is to harness dark magic and use it for their own gain.** The formation of a coven is essential for these witches as it strengthens their powers and enables them to perform even more wicked acts. **They unite their skills, knowledge, and abilities to amplify the potency of their dark magic.** Through their collective force, they become a formidable threat to anyone who stands in their way.
Soon after, Joe arrives at the agreed-upon location where, after snooping around alone, he is greeted by Zander (Craig R. Mellor, “The Hooligan Factory”), Evie’s husband, who aggressively asks who Joe is and why he’s there. Evie settles the confrontation by yanking back on Zander’s leash, showing Joe that she is truly the one in charge. Her next move is to introduce the rest of the “group” — Kissi (Tracy Gabbitas, “Giving Up The Ghost”) the healer, Raymond (Micky Satiar, “Gentleman’s Club”) and Wes (Jacob Kain Prescott, “Surprise”) the coven’s pair of goons, and Talia (Laura Ellen Wilson, “Once a Year on Blackpool Sands”), whose purpose hasn’t yet revealed itself.
There are also no other rituals for Joe to observe, and at no point does it seem he s writing a follow-up article or trying to learn the lay of the land. There is a reveal near the end of the film that might answer this question, but honestly, I don t think it s enough to justify the story we ve just had to sit 100 minutes through.
** Through their collective force, they become a formidable threat to anyone who stands in their way. Evil witches in a coven often perform rituals and incantations that invoke ancient and maleficent forces. **These rituals may involve sacrifices, summoning demons, or casting harmful spells.
Coven of Evil 2020 REVIEW
After writing a slanderous article on witches, Joe, a freelance journalist, was invited to observe a local coven. Once arriving, he quickly realised there is something more ominous going on than just witchcraft. After meeting one of the sisters of the coven, Alice, Joe makes it his mission to rescue her. But does she really need saving?
Written, directed and produced by Matthew J. Lawrence, Coven of Evil is a low-budget British horror film made in 2018 but not released until 2020. On IMDb, the film markets itself as a drama, romance, horror film, but with the inclusion of so many genres, it’s a shame that the film fails to thrive in any. The expectation of evil witch horror is quickly replaced with overdone boy-girl drama and an uninspired romance plot. From the first ritual scene, it becomes apparent that this coven is more perverted than wicked.
The film wants to be a touching story about a regular guy saving a woman from potential evil, but what we get is a clunky and overly long story which fails to evoke any emotion due to its bizarre nature. Coven of Evil 2020 isn’t weird in the sense that it’s unconventional. It’s weird because it seems to be trying to convey two completely different tones at once.
For example, the coven’s high priestess, Evie, is played by Samantha Moorhouse, who delivers a very campy and sometimes overly dramatic performance. When interacting with Joe, played by John Thacker, their interactions really work to create a campy, semi-serious tone.
Unfortunately, this is often ruined by other performances that don’t seem to be in on the joke that the film might not be as serious as it wants to be. There seems to be a stark contrast between the actors who knew the type of film they were shooting and those who didn’t. For instance, Laura Peterson, who plays Alice, and Laura Wilson, who plays Talia, seem to have missed the memo.
This creates a very jarring experience as the film will go from being pretty funny (intentionally or unintentionally) to quickly being stalled by acting that just simply isn’t good. In one scene when Joe is talking to Alice about running away, Joe responds with “Jesus, you’re really scared of him, aren’t you?”. The problem is Alice doesn’t seem scared or emotional at all. She seems bored.
While it could be argued that this is a clever nod that Alice’s motivations might be more sinister than first realised, this unfortunately doesn’t come to fruition. Maybe it was a moment to create tension? Or maybe it was just bad acting? It leaves you frequently questioning whether this is a clever horror film that is always one step ahead or whether you’re watching a film created by a bunch of hungover university students. Having witnessed both myself, I’m still left pondering. This isn’t necessarily surprising since Matthew J. Lawrence has mostly made short low-budget horror films. It seems like he should have stuck to the same format for this one.
Even with a 100-minute runtime, the story development is still under-cooked. The problem can be traced to the beginning of the film with Joe. Why is he even at the coven? The film would have us believe that it’s because he felt bad about being accused of writing a slanderous article on witches. But we’re never told why? It’s not like his reputation is at stake. He’s never met Evie before, so why does he put so much weight on her opinion? It’s never questioned, and this quickly becomes a running theme with Joe.
He has the personality of a doorknob. He constantly just stands there as other characters grab and twist him. For all the talk he does about rescuing Alice, he fails to really act on it unless it’s to sleep with her.
It’s also left a little unclear on what the coven actually is. From a throwaway line, we learn they are Satanists posing as Wiccans, but there isn’t much depth to this. Why are they posing as Wiccans? Why even invite Joe? There is a reveal near the end of the film that might answer this question, but honestly, I don’t think it’s enough to justify the story we’ve just had to sit 100 minutes through. The throwaway line could easily have been missed, as even Matthew J. Lawrence himself had to state on an IMDb review that the coven are not Wiccans.
While there are a lot of missteps in this film, there is something here. The first scene when we see a flashback is legitimately funny. A group of cultists is murdering a woman in the British countryside. The issue is that the British countryside can be windy, especially on high ground. So as the cultists are trying to be scary, the character’s hair is constantly blowing into their faces, making it increasingly difficult to deliver lines.
Furthermore, most of the characters have hoods which look like they could blow off at any time. The scene is funny because of how comical and camp it is. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t stick to this consistency all the way through. Instead of being entertaining with off-beat musical tones and quirky characters, it’s just bad acting and non-existent lighting.
Coven of Evil is not good. The sound design is terrible, the acting varies, the cinematography is uninspired, and story development is as non-existent as the lighting. Despite this, however, I couldn’t turn it off. Even with the choice of reviewing a different film, I still continued watching. The film has an almost hypnotic quality. While I wouldn’t recommend it, the film is currently available on Amazon Prime to rent or buy for a fee, along with a wealth of other British horror films of a similar quality.
After writing a slanderous article on witches, Joe, a freelance journalist, was invited to observe a local coven. Once arriving, he quickly realised there is something more ominous going on than just witchcraft. After meeting one of the sisters of the coven, Alice, Joe makes it his mission to rescue her. But does she really need saving?
** The coven members draw their energy from each other and their surroundings, allowing them to tap into deep wells of dark power. **Their practices are fueled by negative emotions such as greed, envy, and hatred.** These witches revel in their ability to cause pain and suffering, delighting in the misery they inflict on others. They derive pleasure from the chaos they create and derive strength from the fear they instill in those who are unfortunate enough to cross their paths. The bond between coven members is strong and unbreakable. **They are bound by a shared commitment to their dark arts and a loyalty to one another.** This loyalty is enforced by secret rituals and ceremonies, often involving blood pacts and oaths. The coven operates with a strict hierarchy, with a powerful leader at the helm who ensures that their sinister objectives are met. The coven of evil witches operates in the shadows, hidden from prying eyes. They seek out secluded locations where they can practice their dark arts undisturbed. **Their activities may often go unnoticed until it is too late.** They manipulate and deceive, using their powers to infiltrate society and corrupt individuals for their own gains. It is important to note that not all witches are evil or belong to covens. **There are many witches who use their magic and abilities for good.** However, it is the coven of evil witches that captures the imagination and reinforces the age-old fear and mistrust of witchcraft. Their sinister presence reminds us of the potential for darkness that exists in the realm of magic..
Reviews for "Unmasking the Coven: The Truth Behind the Evil Witches"
1. John - 1/5 stars - I could not stand "Coven of evil witches". The plot was all over the place and the characters were poorly developed. It felt like the author was trying to pack too much into one story and it resulted in a jumbled mess. I found myself getting bored and confused, and ultimately gave up on finishing the book. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a well-written and cohesive storyline.
2. Emily - 2/5 stars - "Coven of evil witches" had potential, but it fell flat for me. The concept of a coven of evil witches was intriguing, but the execution left much to be desired. The pacing was off, with long stretches of tedious dialogue and minimal action. The characters lacked depth and I couldn't find myself invested in their stories. The ending was also underwhelming and left many loose ends unresolved. Overall, I expected more from this book and was ultimately disappointed.
3. Susan - 2/5 stars - I found "Coven of evil witches" to be a frustrating read. The writing style was inconsistent, with awkward sentence structure and excessive use of cliches. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with the characters. Additionally, the plot was predictable and lacked originality. I was hoping for a gripping and suspenseful story, but instead, it felt like a watered-down version of other witch-themed books I've read. Sadly, this book didn't live up to my expectations.
4. Michael - 1/5 stars - I couldn't stand "Coven of evil witches". The characters were incredibly unlikable and their actions were inconsistent with their supposed motives. The plot was convoluted and nonsensical, leaving me scratching my head throughout. The dialogue was cheesy and cringe-worthy at times, making it difficult to take the book seriously. Overall, I found it to be a waste of time and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
5. Laura - 1/5 stars - "Coven of evil witches" was a major disappointment for me. The pacing was sluggish, with long stretches of unnecessary details that added nothing to the story. The writing style lacked finesse and the author's attempts at creating suspense fell flat. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it hard to care about their fates. I was hoping for a thrilling read, but instead, I found myself bored and uninterested. Sadly, this book did not meet my expectations.