The film follows the story of Ayleen, a young woman living in the remote Austrian Alps. She resides in a secluded hut with her ailing mother, who is struggling with a mysterious illness. As the story unfolds, Ayleen's isolation and her mother's condition lead to a descent into madness, fueled by superstition, fear, and the harsh environment.
: 15th-century Austrian Alps, a time of deep superstition and religious repression. : Often called "Germany's answer to ," it is a arthouse piece with minimal dialogue (around 20 lines). : The film is divided into four runic chapters: Plot & Key Themes Hagazussa
Years later, Albrun is a young woman (played with haunting physicality by Aleksandra Cwen). She lives alone with her infant daughter, surviving by grazing goats and selling trinkets. She is a Hagazussa in practice: she lives on the hedge of the town’s tolerance. Here, the horror shifts to social paranoia. A local villager, Swinda, feigns friendship with Albrun. But in a cruel act of "baptism by fire," Swinda accuses Albrun of using a goat’s horn as a phallic idol. The film’s most shocking sexual assault sequence occurs not as a jump scare, but as a muddy, realistic violation. Swinda and her husband hold Albrun down, smear her with filth, and beat her. The Hagazussa is not powerful here; she is a victim. The film follows the story of Ayleen, a
In the pantheon of modern horror cinema, certain names elicit immediate recognition: The Witch , Midsommar , The Lighthouse . These films are celebrated for their "elevated horror"—a slow-burn blend of psychological dread, historical accuracy, and artistic ambition. Yet, lurking just beneath the surface of these mainstream hits is a far more obscure, unsettling, and radical film: Lukas Feigelfeld’s 2017 debut, . : 15th-century Austrian Alps, a time of deep
The film is divided into four distinct chapters, following the life of a young woman named Albrun in the 15th-century Austrian Alps.
If you are a fan of The Witch (2015) but wished it were slower, more atmospheric, and bleaker, Hagazussa is your next obsession.