Witching hour paranormal employees refers to the phenomenon of experiencing supernatural events and encounters during the late hours of the night, typically between midnight and 3 am. Many individuals who work in jobs that require them to be awake and active during these hours have reported strange occurrences, leading to the belief that there may be a connection between the paranormal and the late night hours. The term "witching hour" historically refers to the time of night when supernatural activities were believed to be the most powerful. It has long been associated with witchcraft and the occult. In modern times, it has come to represent a time when the veil between the living and the spirit realm is supposedly thinnest. Paranormal employees, such as night shift workers, security guards, and nurses, often find themselves in situations where they are alone or in isolated areas during the witching hour.
Paranormal employees, such as night shift workers, security guards, and nurses, often find themselves in situations where they are alone or in isolated areas during the witching hour. This makes them more susceptible to the strange and unexplained phenomena that are commonly associated with this time. Reports of paranormal experiences during the witching hour vary widely, but common occurrences include strange noises, eerie feelings, unexplained shadows, apparitions, and objects moving on their own.
You Won’t Forget The Wretched
Ben’s (John-Paul Howard) summer has started out on the wrong foot: His parents are in the middle of a separation that’s calcifying into a divorce, and he’s been sent to live with his father, Liam (Jamison Jones), for the season, working at the local marina in lakeside Michigan and taking shit from hyper-privileged brats. He also has the attention and affections of cool girl Mallory (Piper Curda), and the couple renting the house next door to his dad’s leave the light on when they screw, so it’s not all bad, except for the ancient flesh-eating witch lurking in the woods.
Save for minor details like smartphones and Google image searches, Brett and Drew T. Pierce’s The Wretched could be mistaken for an unseen 1990s flick dug up like a lost relic of its era. The film shares in common DNA with classics like The Faculty, in which wolves skulk among the herd and only the kids are open-minded enough to realize it, but The Wretched doesn’t fetishize its cultural touchstones, or function only as genre nostalgia. It’s an honest to goodness real movie with a mind of its own; practical FX work and creature design help, too, as essential to what distinguishes The Wretched from its influences as the Pierce brothers’ writing.
They build tension and avoid playing coy: Something sinister is in the woods, they let their viewers know upfront, and they have a blast dropping clues and hints for Ben to decipher while Liam loses himself in a relationship with his new girlfriend, Sara (Azie Tesfai). Abbie (Zarah Mahler), for instance, their temporary neighbor, starts acting real weird, walking about with a thousand-yard stare and spending an inordinate amount of time in her vacation home’s cellar. She isn’t Abbie, of course; Abbie, in short order, gets devoured in the dead of the night by a hag that noshes on its prey then dons their skin and pretends to be them. Then it eats its prey’s children and wipes away every trace of their existence. Then it moves on to the next family, like, say, Ben’s or Mallory’s.
The inevitable doom Ben sniffs out and then frantically fights to avoid mingles with the trappings of teenage boyhood, and so The Wretched looks for ways to balance horror with coming-of-age comedy. He like-likes Mallory, she like-likes him, the spoiled rich kids pick on him and interfere with their budding relationship any chance they can: So it goes. The film’s humanity and humor come from Howard and Curda, who carry the scenes between the terror with bright-burning chemistry. They’re a terrific pair. Howard plays Ben as a heartsick sweetie-pie, while Curda brings a relaxed attitude and sharp wit to Mallory, each complimenting the other with their opposing characteristics. But it’s up to Howard to manage the monster-wrangling against the increasingly frustrated Liam’s wishes.
And what monster-wrangling the Pierces have conjured. The hag, referred to in brief as a slipskin, has a pronounced hair lip, crackles and quivers like The Grudge’s Kayako Saeki when it’s its own skin, wails like a banshee, and has no qualms eating babies, children or adults. It’s a perfectly grotesque thing that goes “bump” in the night and a great antagonist for a kid caught in a parental split. The slipskin erases families as surely as dissolving a marriage, only the results are more permanent and considerably bloodier.
The Wretched’s gore quotient likely will fall on the low side for splatter addicts, but the film understands when viscera is called for and when withholding is better. Its best scares tend to involve a glance into the darkness, where nothing should be but in which evil lurks, or through binoculars, which throws the malevolent presence lingering at The Wretched’s edges into sharp relief.
Don’t mistake the emphasis on mood over graphic violence as a sign of pretense. This is fun horror; not a minute goes by where the Pierces slip into self-seriousness. Which isn’t to say that The Wretched doesn’t take itself seriously, because the movie can go to gross places and brings appropriate sobriety to sequences of little kids being consumed by the slimy beldam posing as their mother. The Pierce brothers’ prevailing tone is “haunted house ride”: Even at its most gruesome, The Wretched stays light on its toes.
Directors: Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce
Writers: Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce
Starring: John-Paul Howard, Piper Curda, Jamison Jones, Zarah Mahler, Azie Tesfai, Kevin Bigley, Blane Crockarell, Ja’layah Washington
Release Date: May 1, 2020
Bostonian culture journalist Andy Crump covers the movies, beer, music, and being a dad for way too many outlets, perhaps even yours. He has contributed to Paste since 2013. You can follow him on Twitter and find his collected work at his personal blog. He’s composed of roughly 65% craft beer.
T he title has been applied blankly and pretty arbitrarily to a by-the-numbers, unscary movie from US indie film-makers, the Pierce brothers, Drew and Brett. It was originally called Hag, which would have been better.
Some individuals have even claimed to have seen or interacted with ghosts or other entities during this time. These experiences can be unsettling and often leave a lasting impact on those who encounter them. While skeptics may dismiss these stories as mere folklore or imagination, many paranormal employees firmly believe in the reality of their encounters. Some even seek out employment in these fields specifically because of their interest and belief in the supernatural. The main idea to take away from the concept of witching hour paranormal employees is that there seems to be a correlation between the late night hours and experiences of the paranormal. Whether these encounters are truly supernatural or simply a result of tiredness and environmental factors is open to interpretation. Nevertheless, the stories and experiences of those who work during the witching hour continue to spark intrigue and fascination in the world of the paranormal..
Reviews for "The Witching Hour: A Look at the Supernatural Paradox of Paranormal Employees"
- Emily - 2 stars - I was really looking forward to reading "Witching Hour Paranormal Employees," but I was quite disappointed. The characters felt flat and the plot was predictable. Everything just seemed to fall into place too easily without any real challenges or obstacles. I was hoping for a more gripping and immersive read, but unfortunately, it fell short for me.
- James - 3 stars - As a fan of paranormal stories, I was excited to dive into "Witching Hour Paranormal Employees." While the concept was intriguing, I found the execution lacking. The pacing was inconsistent, with certain parts dragging on while others felt rushed. Additionally, the writing style didn't fully capture my attention, making it harder for me to connect with the story and its characters. Overall, it had potential, but it left me wanting more.
- Sarah - 2.5 stars - "Witching Hour Paranormal Employees" had an interesting premise, but I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed by the overall story. The plot felt disjointed with too many subplots that didn't necessarily contribute to the main narrative. The pacing was off, with some parts dragging on without any real purpose. Additionally, the character development felt shallow, making it hard for me to truly invest in their journey. Overall, I found it to be a rather mediocre read.