Witch House: The Legend of Petronel Haxley (2008) User Reviews

They hang witches don't they?

[nogodnomasters · 3/10 · 10 July 2020]

Three guys on their way to a goth concert break down on the moors. They are rescued by a bus from Sir John Sterne academy for girls filled with girls. They visit the Ryedale Folk Museum and break down on the way back and walk across the moors. At 55 minutes into the film, the horror starts. Clearly there was a "Juon" and "Evil Dead" influence on the director. However, the story and characters didn't compliment the effective but cheap effects.

Guide: F-word. No sex. Nudity (village extra).

Bland and boring...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 21 January 2021]

If you enjoy horror movies about witchcraft and such, then the 2008 movie "Witch House: The Legend of Petronel Haxley" from director Mike McCarthy might not be the best of choices you can select for watching.

I sat down to watch "Witch House: The Legend of Petronel Haxley" in 2021, without ever having heard about it, nor knowing what it was about, save it was something about witchery and witchcraft. Plus, the fact that it was a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, also helped to win me over.

And let me just be the first to say that this movie wasn't good, nor interesting, or particularly enjoyable or entertaining. It was, in fact, so unappealing that I gave up on the movie about 45 minutes into it. It was just horribly boring and uneventful. The storyline just had absolutely no drive to it, which made for a very bland and boring movie.

"Witch House: The Legend of Petronel Haxley" felt like a home movie project, which was also an aspect to why the movie failed to enthrall me in any way.

The acting in the movie was fairly adequate, taking into consideration the production of the movie and the type of movie that it was. I can't pinpoint any particular outstanding acting performances in the movie though.

I have no intention of returning to watch the rest of this movie. And my rating of the 2008 movie "Witch House: The Legend of Petronel Haxley" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.

Average Horror Flick

[JJWells71 · 27 May 2008]

Witch House is a average horror film about a group of students who become lost out in the York Moors with their teacher and are pursued by some supernatural force. The backdrop is an interesting location for a horror film - beautiful yet ominous and the story was potentially interesting and watchable overall.However there are elements in need of attention.

The plot and characters are not sufficiently developed to capture the audience's attention so it becomes more about how the each student is going to die rather than actually caring about them. Some of the death scenes were quite comical although not helped by the poor SFX. Although the moors also provided quite an interesting opportunity for some amazing cinematography however this was not realised by the director. This was a real shame. This film one which you can wait for on DVD.

The Funniest Movie of 2008...... seriously

[Toodle-Pip · 1/10 · 17 April 2008]

When I went to see this movie, I had no idea what the plot was, how the acting was going to be... Basically, the whole thing was a mystery to me. What unfolded was a hilarious romp through one of the worst "horror" movies I've ever had to endure. The acting was..... well, nonexistent to be honest. The actor's attempts at portraying terrified victims was laughable, but that was because the script contained some less-than-stellar lines, such as "I'll give you a fiver if you p**s on that cat"

In all honesty, I have no idea why someone would think that the bad script would be improved by the even worse acting. And you could tell that the movie had next to no budget from the awfully fake SFX. Especially one scene when one of the victims floats across a room and has her bottom jaw cut off. Add to that the make up of the witch, which looks like a cross between the guy from Jeepers Creepers and an old Dr Who villain - Not a good match. Not a good movie

But in all fairness, this movie did have every single person (all 20 of them) in the cinema in fits of laughter all the way through. So go and see it if you fancy a giggle. But don't expect thrills, chills or horror of any kind.

One of the worst horror movies

[koldude · 1/10 · 21 January 2021]

I am honestly not sure how this movie got such high ratings in IMDB. It does not deserve even one star, TBH. Total wastage of time. Poor acting, poor story line, poor direction, really stupid characters... The list just goes on and on and on!

Oh Dear Oh Dear Oh Dear

[meandlyzzy · 2/10 · 24 April 2008]

Right, where do I start? First off, I'd seen this film advertised in my local Cineworld since Christmas, and had no idea what it was. When it came out, and I found out that it was a local film - and also through the comments on here that it was pants - I decided I had to go and see it.

So I went in there expecting it to be bad. However, not as bad as it was.

I fully agree that the acting was terrible, and felt a little embarrassed for Bill Fellowes, who seemed to be stuck in because he was a local actor who was 'well-known'. Some of the Boro accents in it made me cringe - and I've got a strong one.

The effects were terrible. The deaths were terrible. The whole actual plot was terrible.

However, it was (probably unintentionally) one of the funniest films I've ever seen! I must have gone on a busy night (There were about 25 people in, some of whom I expect were family of people involved) and we were rolling in the aisles from some of the things on screen! So, yes, it is a terrible terrible horror film, but, if you go expecting cheesy tripe, you won't be disappointed!!

Petronel Haxley conjures up a creepy cauldron of 'familiar' frights.

[Weirdling_Wolf · 7/10 · 15 April 2023]

Middlesborough filmmaker, Mike McCarthy's low budget occult shocker 'Witch House: The Legend of Petronel Haxley' is both intentionally and unintentionally funny. After a series of amusingly contrived mishaps, a bus load of querulous female students and a libidinous trio of likely lads fatefully find themselves trapped inside an isolated medieval barn. Increasingly disturbed, their desperate attempts to escape the clutches of vengeful, grot-faced witch, Petronel Haxley conjures up a creepy cauldron of 'familiar' frights. Granted, the gore quotient is negligible, and the effects are far from special, but there's a winningly plucky, can-do quality to this wonky witch-fest that held me under its singularly shonky spell!

While the cast clearly features non-actors, they are all certainly game enough, and the bleak, doom-laden atmosphere on the barren, witch-haunted moors engenders some agreeably Wuthering Frights! Mike McCarthy is to be congratulated on making a modestly engaging feature on such a limited budget. While the film's overall appeal might prove selective, I still predict future B-cult status for this earnest, weirdly endearing, not especially frightful, Northern-set indie horror film. If the idea of a roughshod Blair Witch meets Biker Grove B-Horror film tweaks your terror gland, Witch House: The Legend of Petronel Haxley is arguably worth a shot.