Witchboard is directed by Chuck Russell director of A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), The Blob (1988), The Mask (1994), Eraser (1996), Bless The Child (2000), The Scorpion King (2002), I Am Wrath (2016), Junglee (2019) and Paradise City (2022). The film serves as a remake to the 1986 film of the same name. 

I really don’t think anyone was clamoring for a remake of Witchboard (1986) but they have made more questionable remakes in the past so I guess anything is on the table. With that out of the way it should come to no surprise that this remake is not very good, outside of a few performances and some unintentionally hilarious moments this is an incredibly empty remake that has very little to offer. 

Madison Iseman is fine enough here (although she has given better performances) and tries what she can with such an empty script. Jamie Campbell Bower (who plays a character that wasn’t in the original) goes full on cartoon character mode here and it leads to some quite hilarious and the movie’s more entertaining moments. 

Unfortunately that’s where the movie ends for me, if I could describe this movie in a one word review it would be empty. There’s nothing going on here thematically or anything that the viewer can sink their teeth into, the dialogue between the characters is lifeless and even when the movie tries to explore some of the bonds between the group it ends up falling flat immediately due to the many cliche directions it takes. The pacing was painfully slow and when you combine that with a 112 minute running time you are in for an incredibly dull ride that will make you want to quickly get off. 

The plot gets very convoluted for absolutely no reason, the movie is trying to do things a bit differently than the original. Which is all well and good but it takes an understandable experience and makes it convoluted for no real reason outside of drawing the movie out longer. 

Overall there is just not anything meaningful or noteworthy to say about Witchboard. It’s the very definition of a remake that you seriously question why it was made as you watch it.

Witchboard is available on all VOD platforms.

3/10 D-