Folk horror fans have a creepy movie headed their way. The trailer for Heresy has been released, and it’s got that chilling, slow-burn energy that calls back to The Witch, but with its own unsettling Dutch flavor.
Set in a medieval village in the Netherlands, the story centers on a young woman caught in a brutal tug-of-war between her religious beliefs, a community spiraling into fanaticism, and something far more sinister hiding in the surrounding woods.
This story is a recipe for dread, and the trailer leans hard into that tension with shadowy forests, paranoia, and whispers of ancient evil.
The film marks the feature debut of Didier Konings, who has spent years crafting visuals as a concept artist on major productions like Stranger Things, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
He’s also contributed visual effects work to The Conjuring 2 and Lights Out, so it seems like the guy knows how to build atmosphere. With Heresy it looks like he’s bringing that visual experience with him.
The cast includes Anneke Sluiters, Len Leo Vincent, Reinout Bussemaker, Léon van Waas, and Nola Elvis Kemper. The script comes from Marc S. Nollkaemper, and the project is backed by Make Way Film and VPRO.
Heresy has already made the festival rounds, premiering at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2024 before showing up at genre-friendly events like Fantastic Fest, Sitges, Screamfest, and Grimmfest.
There’s something especially unnerving about the folklore angle here. The “Witte Wieven” legend, tied to ghostly women said to haunt fog-covered landscapes, adds an extra layer of dread that feels different from the usual witchcraft stories.
The film, also known as Witte Wieven, is streaming exclusively on Shudder, and it looks like it’s bringing some seriously creepy folklore along with it.
