[Editorial] Hearts of Darkness: Women and Grief in Pyewacket (2017)

This piece contains spoilers for Pyewacket

Pyewacket (2017) is a story about women and grief. It’s a horror film because the protagonist Leah (Nicole Muñoz) summons a demon out of anger at her mother (Laurie Holden), and it is a cautionary, monkey’s paw, be-careful-what-you-wish-for tale. But the foundation is a story of a mother and daughter grieving, though not necessarily together.

Leah and her mother, Mrs. Reyes, are grieving the loss of Leah’s father, with whom Leah was close. Her interests in metal music, the occult, and studying magic were all present before her dad’s death, but she leans hard into those interests to cope with her grief. Leah’s relationship with her mother is strained. Her mother is understandably grieving the loss of her husband, and she doesn't have anyone to turn to as she tries to balance caring for Leah and working through her own grief. She tries to grieve in secret, stashing photographs under her bed and crying in private, though Leah is old enough to know what her mother is trying to hide. It can be difficult for a teenager to see a parent in a vulnerable state, and Leah does not know how to react.

Throughout the film, Leah’s mother tries to find a new normal and keep things positive for her daughter. Leah needs her mom, but is also pushing her away, in the way teenagers can. They move to a house in the country, because Mrs. Reyes can’t cope with the memories of her deceased husband in their family home. But Leah doesn’t want to miss her friends at school, so her mother drives hours each way to drop off and pick up her daughter so she doesn’t have to transfer schools. This is hugely inconvenient, but as a teenager, Leah only sees her own inconvenience of living far away from her friends. She does not consider her mother’s feelings, reflective of how teenagers can be self-centered (speaking from experience!) Mrs. Reyes suggests getting “a little hobby job” at a local novelty shop. She poses this to Leah as something fun to do together on the weekends, but Leah brushes off the idea and says she would rather see her friends. It’s a sympathetic scene, because Mrs. Reyes must need the extra money and is encouraging Leah to earn her own income. They have likely been hit hard financially by the loss of Mr. Reyes, but she will never admit this to Leah.  Mrs. Reyes is doing her best, but no one is equipped to become a widow and continue to function normally.

Because the focus is on Leah and her mother, men are mostly absent from this story. Leah has a crush on  Aaron (Eric Osborne), and there are boys in her circle of friends, but they are tertiary characters. The most important man in the story is Leah's father, and he has already passed away when the movie begins. Leah’s best friend is Janice (Chloe Rose). Their friendship seems veiled under a layer of coolness that they both try to maintain, but when it’s just the two of them alone, they are kind to one another and share their feelings. Janice is a polite guest to Mrs. Reyes, which Leah teases her for, but Leah is grateful to have a friend over. It seems like a healthy and normal friendship, and it’s a shame that Leah most likely loses that support when Janice is traumatized by the Pyewacket. In missing her father, Leah turns to a male writer she respects, who writes about occult rituals and magic. She is seeking advice, and given that she can’t speak with her dad, she goes to the most available male adult.

While the Pyewacket itself is terrifying, and the film overall is an excellent movie that more people need to see, it’s also an extremely sad story. Leah makes a mistake she can’t take back, and it’s exactly the kind of mistake a teenager might make in the heat of anger. Leah will be alone with her grief for both parents, plus the guilt of being responsible for her mother’s death. The plot comes full circle, and what begins as a story about Leah's grief ends as a story about Leah’s grief. 

Check out Iona Smith’s review of Pyewacket on Ghouls Magazine!

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