Get ready for Shudder’s new horror film Heresy to cast a spell on you. The Dutch film, also known as Witte Wieven, has now made its streaming debut on the genre streaming service. Don’t let the “Dutch” factor scare you off; it does feature English subtitles.
The dark tale is set in a medieval Dutch village. It follows a young woman caught in a terrifying struggle. She is trapped between her faith and the fanatic townsfolk. Dark forces lurk within the nearby woods, but they may be her only escape.
A Horror Pedigree
Didier Konings, who served as a concept artist for “Stranger Things.” His pedigree doesn’t stop there. He has also had a successful career in visual effects, including for The Conjuring 2 and Lights Out. He is now making his feature directorial debut with Heresy.
A Haunting Tale
The film is set in a suffocatingly puritanical medieval Dutch village where a woman’s worth is measured solely by her womb. Frieda (Anneke Sluiters) is a woman of deep faith, but she is childless—a “sin” for which her community and her abusive husband, Hikko, never let her forget. Out of desperation, she escapes into the woods, a haunted place from which no woman has ever returned.
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The Cast
Anneke Sluiters and Len Leo Vincent lead this dark tale about women’s worth. Reinout Bussemaker, Léon van Waas, and Nola Elvis Kemper also star. Marc S. Nollkaemper wrote the script. Make Way Film and VPRO produced the movie.
Out Now
Heresy premiered at the 2024 International Film Festival Rotterdam. It also played at Fantastic Fest, Sitges, and Screamfest, so you know it’s got to be good. Do not miss this atmospheric descent into madness. Watch Heresy now on Shudder.
