Film Review: The Sisterhood of Night

By Daisy Waltermaurer

The Sisterhood of Night, often referred to as a “modern-day Salem witch hunt,” cunningly incorporates female empowerment, along with the issues of cyberbullying and sexual abuse into one magnificent movie. Released in 2014, the movie was directed by Caryn Waechter, who commonly creates works with a dark side to them, but who also sees an importance in empowering young women. The story and themes of this film perfectly coincide with her previous experience. Notable actors in the film are Georgie Henley, Kara Hayward, Kal Penn, and for a short two seconds, myself. All of the actors who were chosen perfectly play the interesting role they were cast to play. The movie takes place in Kingston, NY, which, in the movie, is described as a “quiet town, the local papers once referred to as archetype of happy suburbia.” Knowing the area, and knowing that is not at all what the city of Kingston is like, it was a bit skeptical how the directors would be able to portray the town in such a way; however, it was executed beautifully. It seemed as though it was taken place in a whole different location that exactly fits the description they used to describe it. 

The film begins by introducing how one character, Mary Warren, bullies another, Emily Parris. The use of social media and how it affects the characters when they use it, or don’t use it is brought up early on and continues to be apparent throughout the film. At this point, all though it does not begin as a problem, the background events that lead to the main conflict begin to occur. This is the time when small groups of girls, led by Mary Warren, begin sneaking out to the woods. It is not shown what happens in the woods, and the film starts to develop an eerie feel. The amount of girls who travel to the woods rapidly grows, and of course those who were not invited, like Emily Parris, feel left out. This is the point when rumors start flying and adult figures begin to get involved. Even though there are rumors about what happens in the woods, these activities are never fully shown. Emily Parris takes the rumors to a whole new level when she writes on her blog that she was sexually assaulted by the girls in the woods. This brings in many of her readers who also tell their story of when they were raped. The meetings in the woods continue to be talked about, by concerned parents and teachers, but also by girls throughout the country who create their own meetings. Talk of the sisterhood grows and grows until a member of the sisterhood is cyberbullied and ultimately ends her life. This leads the rest of the girls to show everyone exactly what happens in the woods. The film ends with an incredible dance scene honoring the sister they had lost.

The look and the feel of this film are a huge part of why this is such an interesting movie to watch. Watching this film, it’s not always easy to know how it’s supposed to make you feel. The whole issue of the sisterhood is shown through two perspectives: that of the parents, the community, and the girls not involved, and the perspective of the girls in the sisterhood. Watching these events unfold through the eyes of everyone not in the sisterhood gives the viewer a disturbing feel, because it seems as though something evil may be happening. From the glimpses of the story through the sisterhood’s eyes, however, there’s a feeling that maybe everything that is occurring is not so bad. The side of the girls in the sisterhood is not really shown until later on in the film, but in their first meeting, which is shown, all they do is tell a secret. The cinematography and setting adds to the feelings of confusion. For example, the town is shown as such a happy and cozy town, but then there are the dark woods where the girls have their secret meetings. The contrast of the two settings is definitely beneficial in making the movie more interesting.

The three main themes in this film, female empowerment and solidarity, cyberbullying, and sexual abuse, are really important in this day and age, especially to young females who would most likely be the primary viewers.  These themes are not often seen in movies and it’s important that they are shown and talked about. Female empowerment is less obvious throughout the film, but comes into play and makes itself more apparent in the final scenes. The issues of cyberbullying and sexual abuse are recurring. They are shown in such a way that makes the viewer uncomfortable enough to really think about what is going on. This is most obvious in the case where one of the girls in the sisterhood is bullied to the point where she feels the need to kill herself.

This movie is so amazing, not just in the story, and look of it, but in the way it causes the viewer to really put thought into the issues presented. This is definitely a must see for everyone.