Moloch – Shudder Review (3/5)

MOLOCH on Shudder is a horror movie from the Netherlands. It has a lot going for it and some truly creepy moments. However, I’m sorry to say that it is also too long and could’ve been stronger. Read our full Moloch movie review here and find it on Shudder!

MOLOCH is a new Shudder addition and this Dutch horror movie has the most delicious creepy vibe for the most part. Also, I really enjoyed the ending and the performances of the actors.

We’re dealing with folklore and since this horror movie is from the Netherlands, we do get enough of an explanation for it to make sense.

MORE FROM THE NETHERLANDS

Be sure to check out the awesome Dutch horror-comedy The Columnist here >

Continue reading our Moloch movie review below. The film is out on Shudder from July 21, 2022.

Horror done right!

The first encounter with this dark force (yes, the Moloch) is extremely creepy. It’s exactly the kind of horror that works for me because it’s seemingly normal people who act very much out of character. Like a force takes over and they have no control. As such, they don’t fear what harm may happen to themselves either.

So, the horror is definitely done right in the Shudder addition Moloch.

My one issue with this movie is that it is too long and could’ve been stronger with some cuts along the way. For one, there is a scene of a sexual nature that I could very easily have done without. In fact, I would have preferred it, since it does nothing good for the story. Or its characters.

But then again, these minor minuses do not ruin the overall experience. Moloch does have a lot going for it and some truly creepy moments. This is exactly why I have to point out its faults since it could so easily have been stronger.

A really solid cast

The main character in Moloch is Betriek, who lives with her daughter at her parents’ home in a very rural area. The town is right at the edge of a peat bog in the North of the Netherlands and there is quite a folklore there. Betriek is portrayed by Sallie Harmsen, who should definitely seem familiar to you.

She was in the breathtaking Blade Runner 2049 where she had a very memorable (if fairly small) role. In Moloch, she makes it very clear that she can definitely carry a movie as well.

In another key role, we see Alexandre Willaume, who arrives at the town to look at something found in the bog. A very old, very well-preserved, body of a woman. Alexandre Willaume should look very familiar if you’ve watched the 2018 Tomb Raider movie or series like The Wheel of Time on Prime Video, Equinox on Netflix, or The Head on HBO Max.

Watch Moloch on Shudder

Nico van den Brink is the director of Moloch which is his first feature film. He did direct the 45-minute film Avondland in 2017 and has plenty of short films on his resume, so he just needs to “kill his darlings” in feature-length movies. In my opinion anyway.

I was very happy with this movie at first but in the second half, it slowed down too much and the focus wasn’t as strong as it could have been. Still, Nico van den Brink does show that he definitely knows horror and can make you feel the terror of a story.

The screenplay was also written by Nico van den Brink along with Daan Bakker. For Daan Bakker, this is his second feature film screenplay produced after Quality Time (2017) which he also directed. Also, he came up with the idea for the genre-hybrid series Zenith which is more relevant in terms of having done genre stories before.

For me, Moloch worked enough for me to recommend it. However, not nearly enough for me to want to watch it again. Does that make it bad? Not at all. But it does mean that it could have been better. Check it out on Shudder for yourself, if you like a good (and creepy) story with supernatural folklore-based elements.

Moloch is out on Shudder from July 21, 2022.

Details

Director: Nico van den Brink
Writers: Nico van den Brink, Daan Bakker
Cast: Sallie Harmsen, Alexandre Willaume, Edon Rizvanolli, Fred Goessens, Anneke Blok, Johan Fretz