Season of the Witch (2009) follows Mary Blackwell as she returns to her secluded hometown of Maiden Hollow to clear out her late father’s house, bringing her two children, Alice and Sam, along for the journey. Upon arrival, they discover a strange village that has remained cut off from the outside world, where the locals live according to their own rules and customs. Initially, the villagers are wary of the newcomers, but they slowly begin to accept them—except for the local priest, Michael Howdy, who becomes unnervingly obsessed with Alice.
Michael, a man who has been deeply scarred by a car crash years earlier, now suffers from head injuries that trigger a series of delusions. He begins to confuse Alice with his deceased wife, Isobel, leaving everyone to wonder whether Alice’s resemblance to her is coincidental or something more sinister. As Michael’s deteriorating mental state leads him further down a dark path, the villagers, suspicious of his intentions, begin to monitor his actions.
Eventually, Michael's obsession leads to a tragic series of events, culminating in an irreversible act of violence. The villagers, in their swift and brutal retribution, only realize the horror they have committed too late, when the consequences of their actions are already sealed in blood. The film leaves a chilling question lingering: was Michael's madness truly a result of his injuries, or was it something darker that drove him to madness?
