Horror 2020 Countdown: The Witches (1966)

 The Witches (1966) dir. Cyril Frankel, Hammer Film Productions/Seven Arts Productions 

Going back to Hammer's glory days, we check out a film that has more to do with voodoo than traditional witchcraft.

 Gwen Mayfield (Joan Fontaine) has just moved back to England after suffering a nervous breakdown while working in Africa. She finds herself in the tiny hamlet of Heddaby and working for the good Reverend Alan Bax (Alec McCowen) and his school. 

There are some issues though, namely that the good reverend isn't an actual reverend at all. His sister Stephanie (Kay Walsh) dismisses Gwen's concerns. Alan just likes wearing the collar. No harm in that, right?

Gwen's top students, Ronnie (Martin Stephens) and Linda (Ingrid Brett) seems to have a Romero/Juliet thing brewing, as both their families are opposed to the romance. Ronnie confess to Gwen he fears Linda is being abused by her grandmother. When Gwen pays a visit to the gal's home, she finds her student's hands have been badly burned. The grandmother insists that Linda was simply being clumsy while washing her dolly's clothes is all. 

Ronnie later gives Linda a new doll to pair with the one that looks her. The new toy goes missing and soon Ronnie lapses into a coma. Gwen soon finds the doll stuck in a tree, beheaded and stuck with pins. She takes the doll to Stephanie, who grows impressed at Gwen's knowledge of magic. She suggests they work on a paper she's been researching about magic use in England. 

Ronnie's mother (Carmel McSharry) talks to Gwen about Ronnie's illness. When Gwen mentions the found doll, the older woman grows upset and rushes to Linda's grandmother. An arraignment is made and Ronnie wakes up before being shipped off to family in Wales. Ronnie's father (John Collin), on the other hand, doesn't cotton to his wife's 'stupid beliefs' and goes to confront the grandmother. He's found facedown in a pond sometime later. 

This is enough for Gwen, who makes it clear the older man was done in by magic. Stephanie's dogs then attack her. While recovering, an African totem appears before her and triggers another breakdown. She comes to some weeks later with no memory of the past few months. She recovers her memory when she spots a girl with a doll. 

Rushing back to the hamlet, she is welcomed by the village. Everyone welcomes her back, everyone save for Linda. Her grandmother, nervously and poorly acted, insists that Linda is simply away visiting family and that she make no effort to look for her; especially in the ruins of the old church.

Can Gwen find her student in time?

Pretty good and atmospheric folk horror.