Hagazussa ❲2025-2027❳

Hagazussa: A Heathen’s Curse (2017) is a German-Austrian folk horror film written and directed by Lukas Feigelfeld as his graduation project from the German Film and Television Academy Berlin. Often compared to Robert Eggers' The Witch, it is noted for its minimal dialogue, slow-burn pacing, and heavy reliance on atmospheric storytelling.  Etymology and Context 

Evolution to "Witch": Over centuries, the term lost its nuanced meaning of "boundary-crosser" and became a pejorative label for those accused of witchcraft and devilry. Hagazussa: A Heathen’s Curse (2017) Hagazussa

6. How to Watch

• Environment: Do not watch this on your phone while distracted. Watch it in a dark room with good sound. The cinematography is stunning (shot on 35mm film) and deserves a large screen.
• Language: The film is in German (and an old dialect). English subtitles are necessary.

Themes

Where to stream: In the US, Hagazussa is available on Shudder, AMC+, and for digital rental on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. It is often bundled with folk horror collections like Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched. Hagazussa: A Heathen’s Curse (2017) is a German-Austrian

In twilight's hush, where shadows dance and play, A figure stirs, with secrets of the day. Hagazussa, a name that's whispered low, A weaver of spells, with magic to bestow. Environment: Do not watch this on your phone

• The Supernatural: In The VVitch, the supernatural is real. Black Phillip talks. The witch flies. In Hagazussa, the supernatural is entirely ambiguous. Her mother’s "demon" might just be a fever. The "black thing" in the water might be her reflection. Is she burning because of magic or suicide?
• Dialogue: The VVitch is famous for its period-accurate dialogue. Hagazussa has almost no dialogue. The few lines spoken are in an obscure Austrian dialect that goes untranslated, even in German subtitles. Feigelfeld wants you to feel language as a barrier, not a tool.
• Optimism: The VVitch ends with Thomasin laughing, floating, and joining a coven. It is a darkly "happy" ending. Hagazussa ends with a lone woman burning alive in a hut. There is no coven. There is no liberation. There is only ash.

Pushed to the brink of insanity by isolation and trauma, Albrun begins to embrace the "darkness" the villagers have long projected onto her, leading to a hallucinatory and disturbing finale [9, 15, 19]. Production and Style