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Witchboard

Name: Witchboard
Director: Chuck Russell
Released: 2025
Duration: 113 min

Representation Score

6.4/10

Good

2025

Director

Chuck Russell

Runtime

113 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Witchboard (2025) is a genre-driven supernatural thriller that prioritizes atmospheric tension and established horror motifs over social critique. While it features a female-led investigative arc and a more diverse central cast than its predecessor, the narrative remains largely within traditional cinematic boundaries. The film touches on themes of social exclusion through its historical backstory of a cursed witch, yet these elements are channeled through occult mechanics. The focus on possession and psychological descent tends to favor classical supernatural morality over systemic critique. Ultimately, the film functions as a high-concept remake that utilizes personal trauma and historical settings to drive horror, rather than to challenge social hierarchies.

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Category Breakdown

Does Witchboard have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The story focuses on the romantic tension between Emily and Christian. There are no representations of LGBTQ+ relationships or non-cisgender identities in the plot.

How does Witchboard portray gender?

Fair

Emily serves as the central protagonist and primary driver of discovery. Brooke adds intellectual depth as an academic, though the plot risks falling into traditional clichés of female victimization.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Witchboard?

Fair

Casting Aaron Dominguez suggests a more diverse central cast than the original. However, the narrative focuses heavily on Eurocentric occult traditions from 17th-century France.

How does Witchboard represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film explores historical trauma through the exclusion of a 17th-century witch. These themes are framed through supernatural horror rather than a critique of Western institutions.

Does Witchboard include disability representation?

Fair

Emily is depicted as a recovering heroin addict. Her personal struggle is used within a horror context, potentially serving as a device to heighten her perceived instability.

Present on Screen

The film features a female protagonist who acts as the primary driver of discovery.
The inclusion of Brooke provides a layer of female intellectual expertise.
Casting Aaron Dominguez indicates a move toward a more diverse central cast.

Limited or Absent

The narrative relies heavily on Eurocentric supernatural traditions and historical contexts.
The plot risks using addiction and personal trauma merely as devices for character instability.
The story adheres to conventional horror clichés and traditional structures.

Official Synopsis

A cursed Witchboard awakens dark forces, dragging a young couple into a deadly game of possession, deception, and supernatural terror in New Orleans.

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