Absolutely the worst movie.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

This reminds me very much of the Nancy Drew television series from the late 1970's, but with a sprinkling of sporadic gore. Panic sets in in a small town when a little girl is taken from her bed late one night. Legends of a witch (Cassie Keller) living in the woods abound, so it probably isn't wise to go searching for that very house – especially if you're 'a group of friends' who think it might be a good idea to throw stones through the windows.The teenage ensemble are less obnoxious than similar teen-casts, and the performances are quite good. There's even a suggestion of diversity, when one girl (Sammy, played by Diana Weston) is rumoured to be a lesbian – she isn't. The 'scares' are pure cut-price CGI Disney, despite some spookily set-up scenes.Late on, when the witch captures some of the youngsters, their fate is more than faintly bizarre and might succeed in raising a smile rather than have you fearing for their lives. Looking like a cowled Darth Maul before slowly becoming more beautiful (and far more effective) the more her victims are drained, her reveal coincides with events succumbing to the familiar slasher format.It's a very odd project, is 'The Wicked'. It's a horror film, but seemingly made by people who have no idea what makes horror work. It isn't down to a lack of budget, as apparently $1.5 was spent on this. It's a world where the law enforcers are blatant pantomime bad boys, where there is plenty of dry ice and sinister music but absolutely no atmosphere and despite the characters screaming and panicking enthusiastically, it isn't in the least bit frightening. Not without merit, this doesn't really deliver the goods as the horror film it sets out to be.

"The Wicked" is a slightly different take on the well worn theme of a group of American teens visiting a haunted house; we have skepticism, sexual tension and of course recalcitrance. It begins fairly dynamically with a young girl snatched from her bedroom by a supernatural presence, but loses its way a bit. The girl is presumed dead, but there is no presumed about the next victim, who meets a grisly end. So what is going on here?The house in the woods is inhabited by a witch, a hideous hag, but she doesn't intend to stay hideous for much longer, though in order to restore herself to her former glory, she must consume a young girl for youth, a male teen or two for strength, and a mature teen for beauty. Or something like that. Our intrepid adventurers are aware of this from the word go because it is a local legend. The real problem with this witch is that she is so powerful, how can they possible combat her? The answer is of course with magic of their own. And wouldn't you know it? - one of their number is the grandson of a recently deceased local magician from whom he has learned a trick or two.

This is a typical teen slasher flick, pretty girls, handsome normal guys, a couple smart people, others rather dumb, enough likable characters to feel a bond. Only the producers actually bothered to interject an unusual take on the killer. I like that.For entertainment - meaning zoning out of the real world filled with professional liars running fake national news operations and nudging the country into humanist neo-communism for happy ignorant airheads - the plot, acting and pace pulled me in for the entire ride. Tons of movies get higher ratings from viewers though are far inferior to this product that is pulling in a 3.7 out of 10 overall at IMDb.On the flip side, I could easily have gotten the point in one part minus quite the level of visual bloodshed. Otherwise, no major complaints at all. I wrote this tiny blurb to help balance out the harsh comments by critics of a rather fine film.

This film has some awful reviews, personally I found the opening scenes creepy, the beginning I skipped a lot of acting was poor, cringeworthy and boring. After they get to the woods it gets a bit better. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it becomes a masterpiece in any way, shape or form, but if you like the 'Urban legend type story where teens get captured & then fight their way out' it gives you that - a bit tense and creepy in places. As I mentioned before I skipped along a few bits that were boring me and watched the more 'horror' bits and for me that made the film a lot better! As someone else said 'watch it drunk and it will be more fun'....