Verotika

Verotika is a horror anthology film that was released in 2019. The brainchild of Glenn Danzig, the founder of band Misfits, this film is rooted in comic books that explore the darker elements of fantasy and horror. Verotika stars Ashley Wisdom, Rachel Alig, and Alice Tate, among others, and treats viewers to a series of unusual yet riveting supernatural tales.

The film opens with an unsettling introduction that sets the tone for the tales to come. Enlisting his personal style, Danzig serves up a smorgasbord of horror elements blended with audacious sexuality and bizarre narratives. Each tale is wrapped in an envelope of supernatural suspense, capturing the viewers and plunging them headfirst into a cauldron of unforgettable horror.

The first of the trilogy entitled "The Albino Spider of Dajette" stars Ashley Wisdom as Dajette, a woman with a distinct and unusual physical attribute. Wisdom navigates her character through a twisted tale of gloomy Parisian nights, fraught with existential dread, bizarre creatures, and a fear that germinates from the most unlikely of source. This Paris-set narrative birthed from an albino spider has a surrealistic feel that makes it a tale mirroring the uncomfortable imaginings of a nightmare.

The second segment, "Change of Face," features Rachel Alig in the role of a mysterious dancer known as "Mystery Girl." This piece offers a different texture, subtly traversing the blurry line between reality and the supernatural. Alig, through a combination of eroticism and horror, ensnares viewers into an uncanny story set against the backdrop of a strip club, tainted with murder and obscurity. The narrative, though seemingly simple, is intriguing, thanks to an undercurrent of suspense that keeps the viewers anticipating.

"The Drukija Contessa of Blood," the final story in the triad, is perhaps the most macabre. It follows an Elizabeth Bathory-like figure portrayed by Alice Tate, who is known for her horrifying practices which supposedly keep her eternally beautiful. Unlike the first two stories, this one has more of a historical horror edge to it, anchoring its plot in the lore of yesteryears Eastern Europe. A chilling tale of vanity, sacrifice, and lust for immortality is unfolded, maintaining the visual intensity of a Gothic horror tract.

In Verotika, every story presents a unique blend of raw realism and surrealism, creating a nightmarish tableau that is both unsettling and visually enticing. The film doesn't shy away from explicit content, infusing elements of eroticism and violent horror into an otherwise supernatural narrative. Throughout the movie, the cast maintains the expressionistic aesthetics inspired by 1960s and 70s European and Hollywood cinema that pervade all three stories.

Verotika's cinematography also plays a vital role in providing the viewers with a truly macabre atmosphere. The use of dim lighting and high-contrast palette presents a visual spectacle that pairs well with the unconventional narratives. Meanwhile, the sound design, with a mixture of creepy scores and ambient noise, perfectly complements each scene—enhancing the fright factor in key moments.

Danzig, as a director and scriptwriter, introduced a new vision into the horror genre with Verotika. The tales are definitely not for the faint-hearted or those seeking a typical horror flick. However, for enthusiasts of the macabre who relish in unexpected tales imbued with raw, unpolished grit, Verotika is a riveting dive into the grotesque, the bizarre, and the utterly nightmarish realms of horror cinema.

In the end, Verotika remains a daring dip in the large pool of the horror genre. It establishes a niche of its own, paving an offbeat path from mainstream horror, and is sure to leave a lasting imprint on its viewers' minds, especially those who delight in their horror served unique, unfiltered and contentious.