Moloch (2022 film)
A Dutch folk horror film set in a peat bog.
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It follows Betriek, a young single mother living with her parents at the edge of a peat bog.[1] The film explores themes of intergenerational trauma, the occult, and mental illness, drawing inspiration from Ari Aster's "Hereditary".[2] Nico van den Brink's first feature film "Moloch" was co-written by him and Daan Bakker.[1]
Making and release
Nico van den Brink directed "Moloch" from a script he co-wrote with Daan Bakker.[1] The cinematography by Emo Weemhoff uses zooms and unsettling long takes.[3] Ella van der Woude composed the film's electronic soundtrack, which contributes to the tension.[3] The film was released in theatres in the Netherlands on 19 May 2022.[4]
It became available to stream exclusively on Shudder on July 21.[1] Van der Kamp of filmkrant noted that the film's storytelling style is too explanatory to truly frighten.[2] She also wrote that the film wears its knowledge of the horror genre like a medal of honor.[2]
What the cited sources add
Whang Yee Ling of The Straits Times rated the film 3 stars out of 5, calling it a "well-crafted exercise in dread"[5] Mendelsohn noted that the film's technical aspects shine, particularly the cinematography with tight close-ups and tracking shots.[1]
References
- Mendelsohn, "REVIEW: Moloch Serves Up Underwhelming Horror Despite Its Game Cast", Comic Book Resources, 20 July 2022. facts only, no text reused. cbr.com
- van der Kamp, "Slim, gelaagd, uitgedokterd", filmkrant, 3 May 2022. facts only, no text reused. filmkrant.nl
- Toma, "De variatie aan horror-ingrediënten geeft de spookwereld in Moloch een indrukwekkend reliëf", de Volkskrant, 18 May 2022. facts only, no text reused. volkskrant.nl
- Wikipedia, "Moloch (2022 film)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: van der Kamp, "Slim, gelaagd, uitgedokterd", filmkrant, 3 May 2022 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Moloch (2022 film)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "MOLOCH", Rotten Tomatoes; Halfyard, "Fantasia 2022 Review: MOLOCH, Dark Whispers of Intergenerational Trauma", ScreenAnarchy, 18 July 2022; Toma, "De variatie aan horror-ingrediënten geeft de spookwereld in Moloch een indrukwekkend reliëf", de Volkskrant, 18 May 2022; Whang, "At The Movies: Moloch beats Kisaragi Station when it comes to dread", The Straits Times, 17 August 2022 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Moloch (2022 film) (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Dutch horror films
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Moloch (2022 film) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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