Movie Review: The Withering

The Withering – directed by Daniel J. Pico, written by Will Loper & Daniel J. Pico & starring Amelia Mahrie, Gareth Tidball & Debra J. Onsager 

Review by Matt Boiselle

There’s certainly no shortage of cursed objects in horror, and The Withering brings its own spin to the familiar formula with an ancient amulet that offers the ultimate temptation: the chance to turn back the clock.

 Judith is a bitter woman in her seventies facing a terminal cancer diagnosis when she acquires a mysterious amulet at an estate sale. She soon discovers that the artifact has the ability to rejuvenate her body, making her younger and stronger. Unfortunately, there’s a catch — and it’s a pretty nasty one. Every bit of vitality restored to Judith is being taken from the people around her. As she continues to grow younger, the town begins to wither, with sickness, decay, and death spreading throughout the community. Judith becomes increasingly obsessed with her newfound youth, and what begins as a supernatural draining of those around her eventually gives way to something considerably more violent. Her caregiver, Haley, begins piecing together what’s happening, but by the time she understands the amulet’s true nature, Judith’s transformation — both physically and psychologically — is well underway.

 The Withering has an intriguing premise, particularly in the way it plays with mortality, desperation, and the lengths someone might go to reclaim the life they feel slipping away. There’s something inherently creepy about one person’s rejuvenation literally coming at the expense of everyone around them, and the film gets some mileage out of that concept. Unfortunately, the execution doesn’t always match the potential of the idea. The story occasionally feels stretched, and some of its more interesting themes could have benefited from a little more depth. There are effective moments along the way, particularly once Judith’s hunger becomes more aggressive, but the film never quite develops the sense of dread its premise seems capable of delivering. That’s not to say The Withering is without its charms. Fans of supernatural curse films and slow-burn indie horror may find enough here to make it worth a watch, and the central concept provides an interesting variation on the eternal-youth nightmare.

 Ultimately, The Withering lands somewhere in the middle — an interesting horror premise with flashes of something stronger underneath, but one that never completely sinks its hooks in.