The Unlit is a 78-minute supernatural thriller that delves into themes of intergenerational trauma, female agency, and the resurgence of folk horror within an Australian context. The narrative follows Claire Nash, a woman returning to her rural hometown, only to uncover a community ensnared by witchcraft and fear. As she confronts her family's dark past, the film explores the complexities of maternal legacies and the societal undercurrents that perpetuate cycles of repression and silence. By intertwining psychological horror with feminist discourse, The Unlit offers a contemporary examination of identity and empowerment against a backdrop of supernatural dread.<p></p>
NTRO Output Category
- Original Creative Work : Other
Place
Melbourne ,AustraliaVenue
Lido Cinema HawthornNTRO Publisher
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8115996/Medium
Narrative Feature FilmResearch Statement
Situated within the tradition of Australian folk horror, the film addresses a gap in genre cinema by investigating how horror can be reimagined to centre female agency and challenge patriarchal control. Drawing from feminist theory and horror studies, it asks: How can horror critique contemporary structures of gender and power?
The Unlit challenges dominant representations of women in horror by reframing witchcraft as a metaphor for resistance rather than fear. The film subverts patriarchal genre norms by positioning its female protagonist as an active agent in confronting trauma, legacy, and power. Through a feminist, practice-led approach, it demonstrates how horror can shift from portraying women as victims or supernatural threats to rendering them as subjects of complexity, autonomy, and critical insight—expanding the possibilities of the genre both narratively and thematically.
Premiering in 2020, The Unlit garnered international attention under its alternate title, Witches of Blackwood, and was selected for the 2021 Official Selection at A Night of Horror International Film Festival. The film’s feminist approach to horror has contributed to academic discourse on genre innovation and representation. It has been included in a forthcoming book by leading film critic Dr Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, exploring women filmmakers’ global engagement with witchcraft narratives. The film’s availability on streaming platforms has further enabled its use in educational contexts, prompting critical analysis of its thematic and stylistic choices.Size or Duration of Work
78 Mins
